The Co-op could open its new store in Godmanchester in February.

Central England Co-operative, which will operate the outlet, is advertising six full and part-time customer services assistant posts at its new site.

The store is being built as part of the Bearscroft housing development of about 750 new homes and community facilities, located off the A1198.

A spokesman for the Central England Co-operative said: “It is on the way. We are looking at opening in early February.”

Details of exactly what the store will sell and how many staff it will employ in total remain sketchy, although the spokesman said it would be a convenience outlet with a sales area of about 3,000 sqm.

The new store will have signs saying The Co-operative food and a planning application for its proposed signage has just been submitted to Huntingdonshire District Council.

There is already a Co-op store in the middle of the town but the Central England spokesman said this was operated by a different part of the Co-op business and was unable to give any indication as to whether its future would be affected by the new outlet.

A year ago the first indications came that Central England Co-operative was looking at taking on a unit at the Bearscroft development site when the firm applied to the district council for a premises licence allowing the sale of alcohol for consumption off the premises. It wanted to be able to sell drink between 7am and 11pm throughout the week.

At the time the Co-op declined to comment on the application or the proposed development.

The store is part of the community facilities being built as part of the Bearscroft development which also includes a new school.

The Co-op also has a depot on the adjacent Cardinal Distribution Centre but in July confirmed to The Hunts Post that the site was being closed and that around 200 jobs were being put at risk.

It said it would not be renewing its lease for the depot when it expired in 2019.

The Co-op also had a similar depot in Huntingdon which it closed in 2014 with a loss of 123 jobs.