Plans have been submitted for a new retail development comprising Lidl and Home Bargains stores on the site of the former Addisons auction house in Barnard Castle.
Developer CPG launched a public consultation on the project in November.
The outline planning application will be considered by Durham County Council over the next 13 weeks.
The proposed scheme will comprise a Lidl discount food store 21,000 sq ft and a Home Bargains store of 15,000 sq ft, as well as a total of 144 car parking spaces, accessed from Staindrop Road.
CPG’s managing director, Martin Ridgway, said: “The auction house site has been vacant for three years and this development will bring a prominent and accessible brownfield site back into use.
“At the public consultation held in the town centre in late November, the vast majority of those who attended supported the scheme and the proposed retailers given the lack of choice in the town.
“These new stores will help address local shopping requirements as it is evident that most people drive to Bishop Auckland to do their main shopping. The proposed scheme will therefore deliver significant environmental and sustainability benefits by increasing the options for shopping locally, potentially reducing the need for longer car journeys and associated vehicle emissions.”