ASDA is set to open a new North Yorkshire store in a half a million pound investment.

The current Netto store, near Malton train station, is set to close on August 6 and be taken over by the supermarket giant.

Malton and Norton currently has a total of four supermarkets in the town: Morrisons, Lidl, Sainsburies and the Netto store and is currently divided over plans to build another supermarket elsewhere in the town.

All of the existing Netto staff are to be kept on, plus additional staff will be taken on.

Ryedale District Councillor for Norton, Elizabeth Shields said: “This is just one supermarket taking over another one. The Netto shop seemed to do quite well in the town.

“But I’m quite glad to see Asda moving on to the site because a lot of people call in at the Asda at Monks Cross when they’re coming back from York and this might encourage people to do their shopping in the town.”

The new Asda will open on August 23 after the premises have been refitted.

Store manager at Asda in Malton, Gary Davies, said : "Despite being a small Asda supermarket we think customers are going to be delighted with the new store.”

The long-running saga over where to put a new, fifth supermarket in the town is currently nearing an end as planners will soon make a decision whether to build it on the Wentworth Street car park or Malton Livestock Market.

A recent survey in the town found that half the people questioned for the Malton and Norton Neighbourhood Plan wanted a supermarket on the livestock market site, with only nine per cent wanting the development on the Wentworth Street car park. A third of the 465 residents said they didn’t want a supermarket on either site.