CONSTRUCTION work on Callington's new Tesco store began this week, almost a year after planning permission was granted.

The long-awaited store off Tavistock Road is expected to open in August and will provide 250 full and part-time jobs.

The development includes a petrol station and Tesco will contribute £105,000 towards accessibility improvements between the site and the town centre, pedestrianisation of the town and the one-way system.

Town councillor Jeremy Gist said he was pleased to see work had started on site; 'We are particularly looking forward to having a filling station back in the town but also to having a Tesco on our doorstep so people do not have to travel miles to their nearest one.'

Callington once had several petrol stations but over the years they have all closed, claiming they could not compete with supermarket prices.

A spokeswoman for Tesco said this week that although it had been a while since planning permission was granted by the former Caradon District Council, it was not unusual that nothing had happened on-site up until now.

'With most new stores like this there are lots and lots of ends to tie up before we can start building,' she said. 'Now we have begun, we hope to have it ready by the end of the summer.'

There was overwhelming support for the Tesco plan when a public consultation exhibition was held in the town in 2008. It was revealed that 80% of Callington residents were going outside the town to shop.

Hopes are high that Tesco will keep shoppers in the town so that other town stores will also benefit from the new supermarket.

Town and Cornwall Cllr Andrew Long said the percentage of people coming to Callington to shop had been diminishing for the past 25 years because there were more shopping opportunities in other towns.

The Tesco store will be open from 7am to 10pm Mondays to Fridays, 8am to 10pm on Saturdays and 10am to 5pm on Sundays and bank holidays.