WORK on the new Sainsbury’s superstore in Ely will not get underway until early next year despite planning permission being officially granted back in June.

WORK on the new Sainsbury’s superstore in Ely will not get underway until early next year despite planning permission being officially granted back in June.

As a condition of its planning permission granted almost three months ago, Sainsbury’s was required to carry out a series of contamination, archeological and traffic surveys on its new Lisle Lane site before work could begin with all findings required to be reported back to and approved by the district council.

The ongoing work is expected to continue for several months to come and means that the store’s projected opening time of Autumn 2011 is likely to be pushed back until the early part of 2012.

A spokesman for PPS Group, which is acting on behalf of Sainsbury’s said: “Following the planning committee’s positive decision in June on our proposals for a new Sainsbury’s food store, we have submitted an enhanced landscaping scheme, as requested by the council.

“This includes providing even more new trees on Cresswells Lane and within the proposed car park. If the committee goes with the officers’ recommendation to approve, we are keen to get started as soon as possible. Our timetable is geared towards starting work in early 2011 and opening in spring 2012.”

The news comes as the supermarket giant was awaiting the green light by the district council to update its plans to plant more trees and shrubs on the site.

The move was in response to a request made by councillors in June, when Sainsbury’s was asked to come back to the council with plans that included more trees and shrubbery around the new site to help screen the superstore from neighbouring residents and to improve the view of the store itself.

When work is finally completed, the new store will bring about 400 new jobs to the district along with 470 parking spaces and a new recycling facility. The majority of the parking for the supermarket will be underground with customers taking travalators up into the store itself.

Representatives from Sainsbury’s predict that the new store will bring in �9 million in extra trade to the city

and could also claw back �6 million that is being spent elsewhere in the county.

A part-subsidised bus service will also take customers from the north of the city to the Lisle Lane store.