THE construction of the new Eurotech factory, Exmouth s largest private employer, has begun - paving the way for the opening of a Lidl for Christmas 2010.

THE construction of the new Eurotech factory, Exmouth's largest private employer, has begun - paving the way for the opening of a Lidl for Christmas 2010.

It follows last week's town council approval of new signs advertising the discount supermarket store.

Eurotech has teamed up with Lidl in a multi-million-pound plan, which will see the industrial and retail businesses operate independently from the same location, in a site share scheme.

In all, the scheme would retain the 140 jobs at a new factory and create an additional 25 to 35 jobs at Lidl.

The plans would unlock 'unusable' land on the current three-acre site for a new, purpose-built, circuit building factory, scheduled to be completed by the spring. Then, the 10-month construction of a Lidl store can commence on the existing factory site.

"It's about a six-month build," said a spokesman for Eurotech. "Then we are looking to move personnel and equipment into the new premises, which will be phased over a couple of months during the summer."

A spokesman for Lidl, Oliver McGuiness, said: "If the new Eurotech factory is completed by March or April, (a Lidl) opening for Christmas 2010 or soon after would be a reasonable time scale.