TESCO has agreed to buy Sittingbourne's Forum Shopping Centre for an undisclosed sum in a move that should create hundreds of new jobs.

The impending sale is the latest move in the town's regeneration process, which could attract up to a staggering £1 billion investment.

No plans have yet been revealed about whether the site will be renovated or pulled down.

Tesco already owns much of the potential redevelopment land north of the railway line.

The mixed use masterplan for the north of the town includes features such as improved roads and a bridge link.

Hundreds of new jobs will be created, with new shops and businesses, leisure facilities and thousands of homes.

Interviews for a consultancy firm to create the vision have already taken place and a major public consultation will be carried out over the next nine months.