It was revealed this week 475 jobs are set to be created when the superstore moves into Clay Cross, as part of a massive £22m regeneration scheme for the town.

While in Chesterfield, a Tesco Metro will replace the former Somerfield supermarket in The Pavements shopping centre, bringing with it over 100 new jobs — the third Tesco for the town.

But while the plans for Chesterfield have been welcomed, those for Clay Cross — which have been revised to create an even larger Tesco than originally planned — have been slammed by traders who claim it could be the death knell for them.

Greengrocer Herman Tinsley, of the Strawberry Basket, Market Street, Clay Cross, said: "I think it will shut me down and put all my staff out of work.

"I've been here since 1992, ever since I left school, and I've spent all those years building a good business up and being part of the community, but this will destroy all of that.

"It's time the council did something. Tesco have just got a complete monopoly.

"Bigger or smaller makes no odds to me. It's going to do me in."

However, Herman said he feared a wide range of smaller shops in the town would also close their doors if Tesco increased in size, as worries are it will offer an even greater variety of goods, including clothing and electrical wares, as well as food.

Tom Gilman, director of GMI Rovinian Ltd, the developers behind the scheme, said the company was delighted that the proposed multi-million pound project was now with NEDDC for final planning approval.

NE Derbyshire District Council has already granted planning permission for the redevelopment of Clay Cross town centre but the new application seeks to make changes to the original scheme, including increasing the size, position and layout of the food superstore and its car park, changing the position of proposed retail units, changing the site of the proposed petrol station and making a proposed new roundabout on the A61 smaller.

A public consultation will take place from tomorrow until August 8 to allow people to comment on the application.

The new plans will be available to view at the council's Saltergate reception and will also be on-line at www.ne-derbyshire.gov.uk

A public exhibition will also take place on Thursday and Friday, July 24 and 25 for people to view the scheme, at Sharley Park Leisure Centre on the Thursday and Clay Cross Social Centre on Friday.

NEDDC will consider the new application at a planning meeting in September.