Plans to build a Tk Maxx store in Workington are set to be approved next week.

But fears have been raised that the development could damage the town centre.

The discount retailer wants to open its first West Cumbrian branch at Derwent Howe Retail Park, creating up to 40 jobs.

Allerdale council planners have recommended approval of the plans, submitted by commercial properties management company Land Securities, when they go before the council's development panel on Tuesday.

They say the store, which would be opposite Pets At Home and Currys, would not have a significant impact on the viability of the town centre.

But the owners of the Washington Square shopping centre fear the amount of trade Tk Maxx would take away from the main retail area has been underestimated.

Planning officers reported that the firm was expected to make around £5.6 million by 2020.

Land Securities' agent Indigo Planning has predicted it would draw £1.5 million of trade away from the town centre, which it has estimated to be 1.2 per cent of the centre's takings.

It expects to pull £1.2 million of business from Dunmail Park, around 10.5 per cent of that centre's turnover.

If the approved retail development opposite Dunmail Park was built, the firm said, the two schemes combined could take 3.9 per cent of the town centre's trade.

Indigo Planning said: "This low level of impact will not undermine Workington’s position as the principal retail centre in West Cumbria and is not considered to be significant adverse.

"There would be no significant adverse impact on Workington town centre or any other centre."

The popular high street chain predominantly sells clothing but also offers furniture and homeware.

But Barton Willmore, planning consultants for the owners of Washington Square, thinks the firm has underestimated the amount of trade the store would take from the town centre, and overestimated the amount it would draw from elsewhere.

It added: "The scheme is considered to further erode the ongoing vitality and viability of the town centre, and in particular its clothing and footwear offer which underpins the centre’s health.

"Our client considers the town centre to be in a sensitive state and vulnerable to new out-of-centre schemes that compete directly with it, such as the application proposal.

"Our client is concerned with the potential impact that the proposed development will have on the town centre, due to the continual erosion of the town centre’s health arising from new out-of centre retail schemes."

Indigo Planning said there were no suitable sites closer to the town centre with suitable floor space, car parking, a highly-visible location and good existing footfall.

It said: "If these elements cannot be achieved the business model does not work and a store will not function effectively or efficiently, and ultimately the store would become unviable."

The company said the former Store 21 site on Pow Street was not big enough for a Tk Maxx store and the next closest potential site to Washington Square - Central Station car park, which has been earmarked by Allerdale council for possible retail use - was too far from other shops to be viable.

It added: "Despite being out of centre, the application site is well connected to the town centre and readily accessible by a range of sustainable public transport modes and national cycle routes.

"It is also located within an established retail destination and will therefore, benefit from passing trade and high footfall generated by the existing shops within the retail park."

The meeting will take place at Allerdale House, Workington, at 1pm on Tuesday.