A national furniture chain is to build a warehouse and trade outlet on a Wear Valley industrial estate.

MFI will open a branch of its subsidiary company, Howden Joinery, on the Abraham Industrial Estate, in St Helen Auckland, near Bishop Auckland.

The company will use the depot to display and supply kitchen units produced at its manufacturing plant in Leeds to local contractors.

About six jobs are to be created when the store opens, but the number is expected to rise as the business grows.

Plans for the warehouse, distribution centre and ancillary offices were approved by council planning chiefs earlier this week.

People living in nearby Tindale Crescent and Peases Row had objected to the plans, fearing further commercial development would ruin the village and increase already heavy traffic.

However, councillors on Wear Valley District Council's development control committee, which met this week, heard from officers that the site lies within a designated industrial area as outlined in the Local Plan.

Because the outlet will not offer retail sales to the public or include manufacturing it was felt the extra traffic would not create significant extra noise or pollution.

The warehouse is expected to be built of brick, steel cladding and colour coated panels.

The development will include the creation of eight parking spaces and a loading bay.

Because the site is elevated and in a prominent roadside position, the developers have agreed to cut the building into the land so it is a similar ground level to other units.

There will also be a landscaping scheme between the building and the roadside to minimise its visual impact.

A spokesman for Howden Joinery's agents, Waverley Properties Limited, said the company expected to complete building work by the end of the year or early next year, and to open for trade next spring.