Melksham will welcome supermarket chain Waitrose to the town on March 18 when it takes over the Somerfield store in Bath Road.

All Somerfield employees have been given the chance to work at Waitrose and the supermarket has confirmed it will create an extra 50 new jobs.

Work on the multi-million pound refurbishment will begin on March 4.

Graham Ellis, president of the Melksham Chamber of Commerce, said the store would “revitalise a significant part of the town”.

Meanwhile, a planning application determining whether Sainsbury's in Bath Road can expand, will be decided by the Western Area Planning Committee on Wednesday.

Sainsbury’s wants to build a single storey 1,937 sq metre extension to its store, provide 91 extra car parking spaces and move the petrol station to vacant land next to the Bear pub, further down Bath Road.

Planning officers have recommended the plan be approved subject to conditions.