INTERNET shopping at the forthcoming Asda superstore has won the borough's backing.

Planning Committee councillors ap -proved the erection of an internal home shopping unit at the supermarket, currently under construction.

The scheme, submitted by Asda Stores Ltd, was also for associated works on the site, between Grange Road and McGarva Way.

The store is due to open this August and will be two storeys high, with a large restaurant, chemist, opticians and many more facilities.

Planning case officer Iwan Hughes said: 'The application is for a 15.6m wide, 9.2m deep and 5.3m high building for home deliveries. It is located entirely within the rear service yard.

'It would abut the McGarva Way boundary wall, where it is proposed to extend the height of the service yard wall.

'This building will facilitate home deliveries of on-line shopping, and is sited to the right of the service yard entrance.'

Six nearby residents objected on the grounds of increased noise and traffic disturbance.

Mr Hughes said the home shopping unit cannot come into operation until a management scheme to mitigate the noise of deliveries within the yard has been submitted to the council.

Deliveries and dispatches to and from the on-line unit will be restricted outside of 7am and 8pm Monday-Saturday and 8am-8pm on Sunday. nCouncillors also granted consent to Asda for internally illuminated signage and non-illuminated signage on the elevations of its new store.

Two nearby residents objected on the grounds of light pollution and loss of amenity.

Planning officers said in a report that the two main illuminated signs facing the Port Arcades and Grange Road were in scale with the building and its surroundings, and the objections were 'difficult to sanction'.

Asda also won permission for various, primarily small, directional signs to go around the car park.