This is what part of St Ives could look like if Morrisons opens a supermarket on the edge of the town.

More than 600 people attended three exhibitions in the Burgess Hall and the Corn Exchange where the supermarket chain unveiled an artists’ impression of the superstore it hopes to open between Needingworth Road and Harrison Way, next to the Marsh Harrier pub.

The building will be on stilts with the shop floor elevated within the structure, but the facade hides the supports.

Morrisons, which is working with Endurance Estates on the project, says there will be six buses serving the store every hour, with bus service 12 and guided busway C diverted to the site.

Saura Shey, spokesman for Morrisons, said there was about a 90 per cent approval rate for the store at its exhibitions. She added they expected planning permission to be submitted later this year ahead of completing the store in mid-2015.

Janet Searle, 74, who lives in St Ives, said she thought the new store would benefit the town as it would draw people into St Ives.

At the exhibition in the Corn Exchange on Thursday, Gill Roberts, 73, of Beldams, Needingworth, told The Hunts Post: “I’m really pleased it’s coming here. I think St Ives will be a lot better off for having a Morrisons as they offer a wider range of different foods.”

County councillor Kevin Reynolds said: “It is the best thing to happen to St Ives for a long time. Personally I want the money form St Ives spent in St Ives and I think the store will keep a lot of the money in the town.”

terms of visitors, around 600 people attended the public consultation exhibition over the three days and about half of those filled in comment forms. We are still reviewing the comment forms and in the process of analysing the feedback, however at this early stage it is clear that we have had a fantastic response and the majority of people that visited the event and filled in a form support our plans.

James Smith, Morrisons development executive, said: “We had a fantastic response, which makes it clear that local people really do appreciate the benefits Morrisons would bring to St Ives.”

Ted Newton, of Endurance Estates, added: “People left us in no doubt that they are very keen to see the store built as soon as possible and it is really gratifying for our plans to receive such a ringing endorsement.”