Solar panels can be installed at one of Swindon's major supermarkets after a planning application was approved.

Sainsbury's will be able to put more than 880 panels on the flat central area of its roof on its branch in Paddington Drive in Bridgemead.

With each panel rated as being able to produce 425 watts of electricity per hour, the total system would be able to generate 376.6 kilowatt hours of power - enough to power 51 medium-sized houses for a day.

Giving permission for the proposal, council planners said: "Given the superstore’s location within an established commercial area, it is judged that the proposed scheme would not be harmful to the external appearance of the superstore building, nor compromise the visual amenity of the local area.

"Furthermore, the proposed solar panels would be mounted high up onto the flat roof of the superstore building.

"In this context, the proposal would not result in unacceptable levels of glare to the occupants of any adjacent residential properties or users of the local highway network.”

In a separate application, permission has been granted for 87 solar panels to be affixed onto the roof of Eldene Pharmacy at Elden Medical Centre in Colingsmead.