A FORMER car showroom is set to become the home of Blackburn's fourth discount supermarket.

Scandanvian food giant Netto has been given planning permission to open a new store in Montague Street, Blackburn.

They will move on to the site of the former Sanderson Ford building, which has been empty and covered in flyposters since the the dealership moved to the Whitebirk area last year.

Councillors gave their permission for the project at a meeting of the planning and highways committee, despite a five-page dossier of reasons why it should be refused put forward by rival retailer Kwik Save.

Their consultants, Roger Tym and Partners, opposed the project on the grounds that it will have a detrimental effect on the town centre, and that if the firm is intent on moving to Blackburn they should take up a site within the town centre, such as vacant land in Cicely Lane, Blackburn. But rival supermarket Lidl already owns that land, and even went as far as getting planning permission to build on it.

However, the cost of installing the highways works the council demanded for the site proved prohibitive, so Lidl secured planning permission for a site off Whalley Banks.

Netto was given planning permission on the condition it paid up for a new piece of public art, which will be erected at the junction of the new Barbara Castle Way and Montague Street, right next to the new shop.

Ronnie O'Keeffe, president of the Blackburn and District Chamber of Trade, said: "This is very good news for Blackburn.

"It adds extra choice for the shopper and I think healthy competition will be good for Blackburn."

Blackburn also has an Aldi in Ewood.

Netto came under fire last week for sacking a worker who gave away £6 worth of carrier bags instead of charging for them.