Retail giant Tesco has agreed to open a new muti-million pound store in Buckshaw Village.

The supermarket chain has signed up to anchor a £35m leisure development in the village which could create up to 200 jobs.

Tesco has taken a 35,000 sq ft store at Henry Davidson Developments’ 18-acre scheme.

The new store will be primarily food based and will be almost equidistant between Tesco’s two larger superstores in Chorley and Leyland, which each take up approximately 100,000 sq ft of space.

The Tesco deal is the first portion of the scheme and developers hope that the prestige and footfall generated by signing up the retailer will attract other businesses to the other 17 smaller units on the site.

The developers are in negotiations with other retailers and leisure chains and other businesses are expected to include cafes, restaurants and hairdressers.

Henry Davidson Developments managing director Scott Davidson said: “This is a very exciting scheme, part of an award winning development aimed at regenerating the area after the loss of the British Aerospace site.

“The fact that we’ve signed Tesco for the anchor store means we expect a high level of interest from national operators keen to benefit from the footfall it will generate.

“We are sure the development will add to the village’s sustainability and make it an increasingly attractive place to live for the expanding population there.”

The site will be off Buckshaw Avenue, close to the railway line, in the southern commercial area of the village.

The first phase of the scheme was granted detailed planning permission by Chorley Borough Council earlier this year.

The plans included a day nursery and 72 upper level apartments.

No start date has been announced but the developers hope that construction will start by the end of the year.