Tesco is close to winning a five-year battle for permission to build a superstore in south-west Birmingham.

The retail giants will hear on Thursday whether Birmingham City Council has approved plans for a 2,480 sq m food store and restaurant with parking on the former Quinton bus depot site at Ridgeacre Road.

A previous application lodged in 2000 was turned down by the Government following a public inquiry.

But a fresh application for a smaller store has been recommended for approval by council planning officials.

The planning committee will consider objections from residents and the Birmingham Green Party, who say there is no need for a supermarket in Quinton. They want the site to be used for housing.

There are also fears that a Tesco store would attract more traffic on to alreadycongested nearby roads and hit the takings of local independent shops.

Tesco stated in a written submission to the committee that the annual turnover of the store would be about £17 million. More than 80 per cent of the trade would come from the local catchment area.

Council planning officer Alison Walker said: "This application is the culmination of a number of years of discussion, submissions and revisions to develop a food store on this site.

"The issue of the need for a store of this scale is accepted and it is now considered that the applicants have addressed the concerns of the Secretary of State.

" Local residents have raised particular concerns about the principle of the development and the detail of the access and layout. It is considered that the latest revisions satisfactorily address these issues."