A TRADERS' leader has responded enthusiastically to Tesco's plans to redevelop an Allenton site.

Tesco wants to build a two-storey supermarket and petrol station alongside Allenton market on the site of the former Mitre pub.

The Telegraph revealed last month that the shopping giant was calling meetings with council planners, members and traders about its proposals for a huge 65,000 sq ft store.

Now, councillors and key groups have been shown the designs for the store, which would be off Osmaston Road. They include plans to knock down the Mitre and replace it with a market with parking space above.

There would be a petrol station between the market and the Tesco store itself. The supermarket would be two storeys with parking underneath for 550 cars.

David Reynolds, chairman of Allenton Market Traders' Association, said he hoped for a market with 50 or 60 stalls.

"The idea is for the Mitre to be pulled down and they would put a market there with an upstairs car park in, so we have still got our market," said Mr Reynolds.

"There would be a petrol station next door and Tesco going in."

Mr Reynolds is in favour of the proposals, which have not yet been submitted as a planning application. He said: "My job was to keep Allenton market going and I have accomplished that. Our job is to say we have a market and it is the traders' job to make it work."

He said a market next to a superstore could be viable.

"It can definitely work," he said. "It will be better. It might not work if we were down the road a bit but being on the site will be good.

"There are a lot of improvements going on and I hope it will put Allenton back on the map."

Tesco held meetings with councillors representing the area and officers three days ago.

Alvaston councillor Paul Bayliss said it was still lacking detail.

"It has the potential to regenerate quite a bit of the area but the issue is the detail, the impact on traffic for example," he said.

"It could create 200 to 300 jobs but it would have a detrimental impact on other shops in the district centre."

The land off Osmaston Road is not yet in Tesco's ownership. Developer Mountview Securities Investment has been buying up sections of land off Osmaston Road for the past five years and has already acquired the Mitre pub and several houses in Whitehurst Street and Osmaston Road.

Its managing director, Nick Chappell, confirmed it was in talks with Tesco about the land.

The Allenton market site is owned by the city council, which said it was aware of Tesco's plans but had not been in recent discussions about selling the site.

A spokesman for Tesco said it was not yet in a position to comment.

Plans are expected to be submitted to the council in the next few weeks.