Council planners agreed to the superstore expanding by half, adding another 140 parking spaces by building another level by the roundabout.

Local councillors were faced with a quandary as Newbury shoppers get used to the idea of 10 car parks being ripped up, and replaced with multistoreys for the town’s renaissance “vision”.

Sainsburys expects 16% more customers through its doors upon completion, but with traffic at the roundabout to increase by up to 13% because of the new cinema, Newbury Town Council objected to the plans, along with two residents.

Sainsburys will keep all 575 spaces free for up to three hours for anyone in the town centre, and has promised to give £177,000 to the council towards a new road through the Sterling estate to bypass the narrow Kings Road.

The store has been under intense competition from Tesco – enlarged by 30% last year – and a newly opened Waitrose on the north side of town. But Sainsburys has been banned from going 24 hours, and must close at 11pm on weekdays, 9pm on Saturdays and 4pm on Sundays.

Earlier plans were withdrawn last June, but this time, the council agreed that the advantages outweighed the concerns.