Sainsbury's is returning to Bognor Regis

The national retailer received approval from the government this week to build a new store on the A259.

The decision by communities and local government secretary Eric Pickles has signalled the start of a 50m investment to replace the town's biggest eyesore.

It is the most important retail development for the Bognor area since the first out-of-town stores were approved some 23 years ago.

The Sainsbury's store will provide 400 jobs which could pump about 10m of wages a year into Bognor's economy.

But it is likely to be at least two years before the first customer walks through the doors of the 55,000sq ft new outlet because of the work needed on the site of the former Lec Refrigeration factory.

Jean Nowak, a decision officer in his Whitehall department, said Mr Pickles agreed with the verdict of planning inspector Stephen Amos that the store should be allowed.

"The secretary of state is satisfied the inspector has not identified any significant adverse effects arising from the proposal on existing, committed and planned public and private investment in the town centre.

"On the other hand, the proposed redevelopment would achieve the physical and economic regeneration of the site, thereby improving the character and quality of the area.

"And the scheme would be built to appropriate standards to limit carbon emissions and achieve resilience to climate change.

Ms Nowak said Mr Pickles had taken into account claims by Morrisons the new store would damage Bognor town centre by diverting too much trade from the central area.

"However, the secretary of state agrees potential positive impacts for regeneration and employment identified by the inspector would significantly outweigh any limited negative effects that would arise in those respects."

The decision by Mr Pickles came one year and ten months after the Observer revealed Sainsbury's wanted to return to Bognor.

The company had a supermarket on Queensway, the current Hatters pub, until January 1990 when it claimed the premises were too small to be economical.

It laid on free buses to take its customers to its Westhampnett store at Chichester for their groceries.

But the closure of the original Lec fridge and freezer factory on Shripney Road six years ago provided the ideal site for Sainsbury's to make a comeback in Bognor with the support of the site owner, Sime Darby London.

Arun District Council backed the plans in October 2009. The out-of-town location led Mr Pickles's predecessor, John Denham, the next month to want to decide the planning application himself.

This led to a lengthy planning inquiry between May 11 and 25 in Bognor Regis town hall chaired by Mr Amos.

It was noticeable for the large public turnout and the number of speakers from the community in favour of Sainsbury's. Mr Amos commented on the 1,000 letters he had received backing the plans.

He produced a 120-page report. His 26 conditions which will govern the store's creation were all accepted by Mr Pickles.

Strict controls have been imposed by Mr Pickles. Grocery goods can be sold in no more than 3,570sq m. Other goods will be confined to no more than 1,640 sq m.

Alongside the store will be a petrol filling station, a car wash and jetwash and a car park with some 600 spaces.

The conditions also include the need to build the access road for the store and the bus stops as well as the landscaping.

But one significant omission was the 900,000 which Sainsbury's had offered to pay to boost the town centre.

The rest of the former factory site will be filled by two enterprise units created by Sime Darby for fledging businesses to provide a further jobs boost for Bognor.