THE FIRST glimpses of the John Lewis Partnership’s plans for a new superstore in Basingstoke went on public display last week.

Proposals for the John Lewis at home and Waitrose’s combined store in Basing View were showcased to shoppers in The Malls last Friday and Saturday.

Many people said they were looking forward to the multi-million pound development, although there were fears that it could cause months of traffic chaos when construction starts.

If approved, the 78,000 sq ft store would be located opposite Matrix House on the western edge of Basing View.

A new roundabout off Eastrop Roundabout would feed traffic to Basing View, the railway station, or up to Norn Hill, and a 420-car capacity car park would be on the roof of the new building.

The new combined superstore has been billed as the first step in Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council’s ambitious £200million plan to upgrade the Basing View business park.

“We want to make a big impact and statement for Basingstoke,” said Jonathan Banham, Wait-rose’s south west development officer. “We want this to be something special.”

The architects behind the store are London-based company 3DReid. Architect Nick Strachan said the two stores would be connected by a single atrium with a Waitrose-branded cafe on the middle floor.

Ian Anderson, from planning firm CBRE, said the store could act as a catalyst for further investment in the business park over the next 15 years.

“It is a gateway site with an iconic building,” he said.

The new store will provide 300 new jobs, and the overall regeneration of Basing View will add a further 5,000, according to Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council, which is working with partner Muse Developments on the regeneration of Basing View.

According to John Lewis and Waitrose, the store would donate £24,000-a-year to local causes, and staff will volunteer 250 hours of time to borough charities and projects.

Ten thousand consultation forms have been sent to Basing-stoke homes, and developers are urging people to give their views on the plans.

Wyn Evans, managing director of Forty Shillings, the company running the consultation, said the response to date was “very positive”.

A planning application is due to be submitted in early October. If approved by borough council planners, building work could start by spring 2014, and the store would open a year later.