A new and enlarged supermarket is set to occupy the site of the former Co-operative store in Diss if two planning applications are given the go ahead.

Retailer Aldi will be moving into the premises and has applied to South Norfolk Council for permission to provide a 42sq m extension to the Mere Street building on the Park Road side, providing a dedicated service ramp and loading point away from the rest of the car park.

In total, the newly refurbished premises, which used to house the Co-operative store until it closed last Saturday, will provide a 1,484sq m foodstore, with 938sq m of retail space, 309sq m of storage space and 204sq m of office space.

A new glazed shop front is also proposed, facing Park Road with a glazed door and canopy facing the car park.

The developers said the aim was to improve the “legibility of the building and provide customers with a clear reference point to the entrance”.

An application has also been submitted to alter the existing layout of the car park by increasing the size of the spaces and introducing cycle and parent and child parking.

If approved, the proposals would create 70 parking spaces, including four disabled designated parking spaces and three parent and child spaces, which would represent a loss of six spaces on the existing provision.

The Co-op shop, which had been trading since 2009, closed after being sold to the discount retailer.

All 37 staff were put out of work – although the Co-op was looking to redeploy them either within the company or help them find alternative employment.

The new Aldi store is not set to open until the final quarter of this year to allow for an extensive refurbishment and the retailer is looking to recruit 40 new staff from the area.

Nobody from Aldi was available for comment.