The owners of the Belvoir Shopping Centre have been given the go-ahead to occupy the unit left empty by Wilko.

Gylo, which runs the centre in Coalville, applied to North West Leicestershire District Council to confirm they could find another business to move into the vacated site.

It is expected that Poundland will return to Coalville after leaving the shopping centre in January.

Coalville's former branch of Wilko is among 71 stores to be turned into a Poundland store.

But the council has told Gylo that it will not need to apply for change of use planning permission.

Glyo anticipated Wilko's closure in August with the homeware chain collapsing during the summer.

At the time, a letter to the district council said: "At the time of Wilko's first occupation, planning permission was not required for the occupation of the unit by a retail use within the shopping centre.

"However, we note that planning permission was approved for two replacement adverts when the store name changed from Wilkinsons to Wilko. 

"Given the widely-publicised difficulties being experienced by the Wilko's business, it may prove necessary to market the unit to new occupiers in due course.

"Accordingly, the applicant is seeking confirmation that any future business could re-occupy the unit without the need of a change of use planning application."

A council officer's report says: "The site has been in use as retail unit since the early 1970s based on planning history records and since the early 2000s based on the knowledge of planning officers who have worked at the Council since that time.

"It is therefore considered that the site has been in use for retail purposes for more than 10 years from the date this application was submitted.

"It is therefore considered that the site has a lawful use as a retail unit."