Council chiefs have approved the first phase of plans to create a huge new sustainable distribution centre on the outskirts of Southampton.

It is hoped that the site will help to cut the number of lorries entering the city by up to 75 per cent and it also has the potential to create a significant amount of jobs, the Southern Daily Echo reports.

The search is now on for a company that can build the freight hub and private sector firms are being encouraged to submit bids for the contract.

A number of recent studies have highlighted a worrying shortage of available logistics properties across the UK, so any new developments will provide the country's supply chains with a welcome boost.

The new park will give small and medium-sized businesses throughout the south of England a shared depot where they can have stock delivered and collected.

City leader councillor Richard Williams told the news provider: "There will be less traffic nuisance and volume and less pollution and there will be a better use of an otherwise unoccupied resource to create employment."