A £12.7 million plan for a new Tesco supermarket for Pontypool - a key part of the town's regeneration - will go before councillors tomorrow.

First announced in December, it is hoped the scheme, supported by £2.6 million of aid from the Welsh Development Agency, will bring jobs, shoppers and prosperity to the town.

The proposal is due to be heard by Torfaen council's planning committee tomorrow.

An application for a petrol station has been added to the original plans for a 40,000 square foot store, 341 car parking spaces and five additional shops.

The development would be sited on the town centre's top car park, and the other shops, rumoured to include Argos and Peacocks, would form a shopping corridor into the town centre.

The joint project is managed and funded by Torfaen council, the WDA, Tesco, and developers Centros Miller.

The application shows the planned position of the store itself has been rotated by 90 degrees to allow for changes in the internal layout.

Glamorgan Gwent Archaelogi-cal Trust have searched the area for remains of the japanning works that was there but have given developers the all-clear.

Local residents have written with concerns including noise pollution from the petrol station, increased parking demand in the area, and the effect construction would have on the stability of neighbouring properties, but the planning report recommends the application be approved.

It said: "While there are concerns in relation to the impact of the changes they are not of sufficient weight to justify refusal of consent."

Councillor John Marshall, executive member for the environment and chairman of Pontypool Regeneration Partnership, said: "We welcome this development and look forward now to the start of the project.

"We are all very excited at finally seeing it get off the ground and all the positive benefits it will bring to the town.

"Hopefully the development will be a catalyst for the rest of Pontypool."

Town centre manager Denise Langman said: "If there are no problems, and I don't see there being any, work should begin in August and should be completed by March or April 2004."

Torfaen council's planning committee will decide whether or not to approve the application when they meet tomorrow morning.