PLANNERS are set to decide whether to give the go-ahead to a new multi-million pound Tesco store in Pontymister which will create 500 new jobs.

A planning application from Tesco was submitted to Caerphilly Council proposing for the 80,000 sq ft Tesco Extra to be built on the Old Foundry site, Newport Road, alongside the River Ebbw in September.

On Wednesday, planning committee members will decide whether to give the plan the green light.

The application also includes a car park providing 761 spaces will be included as well as a bus dropping off point.

A petrol station, new pedestrian footbridge and riverside walkway are also included in the plans.

If planning permission is approved work on the new store could start as soon as January 2010.

It is then hoped the store will be fully open to the public by January 2011.

Staff at the store will be recruited through the local job centre around 14 weeks prior to the opening of the store.

An original planning application for the store was submitted in May last year but a new application with a minor amendment to improve the flood defences along the river bank was received by Caerphilly Council in September.

The supermarket will be the fourth store in the area along with Morrisons, Aldi and Lidl and the new building will be 20,000 sq ft larger than the Tesco Extra in Cardiff Road, Newport.

Tesco's regional corporate affairs manager for Wales, Felix Gummer said: "We feel that this is an excellent location for a Tesco Extra store both in terms of the regeneration of a disused site and in the improvement of the retail offer locally.