A BID has been renewed to build a new pet store at a Hampshire retail site that would provide 25 new jobs.

A fresh plan for a Pets at Home premises within the Hedge End Retail Park has been submitted 18 months after it was refused by council planners.

This comes after the Daily Echo revealed plans for a TK Maxx and HomeSense store for Hedge End, creating a further 70 jobs.

The store would be built on what is currently car parking for customers of the existing shops at the retail park, Homebase, Currys and PC World.

It would sell pet food and accessories, live animals and offer pet care, treatment and grooming facilities.

Alongside new short-term construction jobs, the store off Tollbar Way itself expects to employ around 25 full-time staff – ten more than the original plan.

There are already Pets at Home stores at the Channon Retail Park in Eastleigh, the Shirley Retail Park and in Segensworth.

Site owner CBRE Lionbrook Property Fund has applied to Eastleigh Borough Council for a second time after its previous proposal for the same store was turned down last year.

Objections were raised about the choice of site when others were available, the lack of road improvements around the Hedge End superstores, the impact on existing businesses and access to the site affecting pedestrians.

Hedge End Parish Council also objected over the loss of car parking, traffic impact and overdevelopment.

So despite officers recommending the plans be approved, councillors turned them down.

Since then the applicant met with planning officers to try to resolve concerns.

The applicant says the new proposal includes significant improvements to the roundabout junction to get into the retail park to reduce congestion.

New pedestrian walkways at the site and a new dedicated crossing point on the access road are also proposed.

The building itself will have a living ‘green’ roof.

The application said there are no suitable sites on the edge of Eastleigh town centre or in the Bitterne district centre available and that this would not have a negative impact on either shopping location but lead to more investment and more jobs.