A VILLAGE appears to be edging closer to finally getting its own supermarket, much to the delight of residents and councillors.

People living in Bowburn, a village of more than 3,000, must travel at least five miles to Durham City or Spennymoor for their nearest supermarket - and those without a car must take two buses.

Planning consent was granted to build a major new store on scrubland next to Bowburn South Industrial Estate in September 2012, but work on site never began.

However, the Ogden Group of Companies has applied to extend the time limit, in the hope a store will finally go ahead.

The firm previously said the development could create up to 200 full-time and 100 part-time jobs, as well as giving villagers more retail choice.

The store would cover 4,184 square metres of land that used to be part of Bowburn colliery, which closed in the 1960s.

There would be a new traffic light-controlled junction off the A177 opposite Bede Terrace, along with a 313-space car park and a new pedestrian crossing and footpath along the store front onto the main road.

County councillor Jan Blakey said: “We’re desperate for this. We’ve got a Co-op in the village but you couldn’t do your weekly shop there.

“This will serve people from surrounding villages as well, Cassop and Quarrington Hill.”

Cllr Blakey said it was the right site for a supermarket and she was happy with the proposed traffic arrangements.

No details of which firm might deliver and run the supermarket have been released.

But Cllr Blakey said: “I’m not bothered who it is, as long as we get someone in. We would be happy with anything.”

Cassop-cum-Quarrington Parish Council, which supported the scheme previously, will next meet to discuss planning issues on Wednesday, September 16, at 7pm.

Bowburn has seen significant development in recent years, including many new homes, and earlier this summer Citrus Durham announced a £160m scheme to build 300 new homes, industrial units, offices, a hotel, shops, a gym and a nursery on the outskirts of the village, near the A1(M).

Further details on Ogden’s proposals can be found online at durham.gov.uk/planning, using the reference DM/15/02514/OUT.

Public consultation runs until Wednesday, September 9 and a council committee will debate the application this autumn.