A SUPERSTORE at a popular retail park could be expanding.

Tesco Extra, at Middlebrook, Horwich, has applied to Bolton Council to extend the store to meet customer demand.

The shop, which is already 113,000 sq ft, could increase by nearly a quarter.

The plans have been welcomed by the chairman of Brazley Residents' Association, Jim Smith.

He said: "Supermarkets seem to be the way forward.

"I have shopped at Tesco for years because everything has gone from Horwich.

"People want this sort of thing so it is inevitable. Horwich will never be a shopping centre, and if people don't go to Middlebrook they will go to the Trafford Centre.

"I hope they will widen the aisles to make it easier to get round."

Proposals also include a first floor mezzanine level in the extension, where the existing cafe and offices will be relocated to.

A new entrance lobby would also be built where the extension joins the store, which would replace the current entrance lobby.

The 25 725 sq ft extension will be built on part of the car park at the north-east of the store.

The design and access statement said: "The additional floorspace is to be used to increase the range of goods in line with a quantative need to meet customer service expectations.

"These external extensions can be adequately accommodated within the site whilst retaining sufficient space for satisfactory servicing, car parking, vehicle and pedestrian circulation and landscaping.

"Accumulation surveys reveal that there is spare capacity at the car park. Moreover, the proposal is not anticipated to create significant new customer demand."

A decision will be made by Bolton Council's Planning and Highways Committee.