The first stage of a new employment site in Thetford is in the pipeline, after plans were submitted for a new supermarket.

Views are being sought on a new 65,000 sq ft food store and petrol station to the north of the town, which would mark the beginning of Thetford Enterprise Park. The 44-acre business area would lie to the west of the proposed Sustainable Urban Extension between the A11 and Mundford Road. It had faced some uncertainty when �1.5m of public investment was lost following the scrapping of the East of England Development Agency last year, but private landowners the Crown Estate are pushing ahead with applications, beginning with the new supermarket.

William van Cutsem, spokesman for property company Pigeon, said the enterprise park would provide key employment for the town.

He added: 'A quality food store will provide jobs and, most importantly, help provide vital infrastructure for the site.

'The provision of infrastructure on this site will make the delivery of new business premises and jobs achievable.

'A food store in this location will complement the planned housing growth for Thetford to the north of the town.'

It is expected the supermarket and petrol station would create about 300 jobs, and an outline planning application is due to be submitted in the summer. A public exhibition will be held at the Guildhall, Thetford, from 10.30am to 8.30pm on June 20.