LONG-awaited plans for a giant Ikea furniture superstore in Southampton were last night given an unanimous backing by councillors.

Work on the four-storey 31,500 sq m store, set to be built over 12 months on the former Pirelli site off West Quay Road, could begin as early as February.

The store, complete with 600-seat restaurant, and 891-space multi-storey car park, is likely to open until 10pm. It will create 500 jobs.

Ikea planning manger Graham Sharp said: "We are delighted. It's been a long slog. It's taken two years of preparation to get to this stage and we're pleased we got full support of the councillors."

He told councillors traffic was going to grow in the city, but it was a question of making the best use of sites in the city.

The Pirelli site was the best available because an out-of-town plot would not get planning consent, he said. An earlier plan for Millbrook was withdraw.

Planning panel chairman Councillor John Slade said the store would be a "boost for retail" that would help push Southampton back up the national shopping league after slipping to ninth.

Speaking after the meeting, Cabinet member for environment and transport Councillor Gavin Dick added: "Ikea will be a draw not just for people in Southampton but for shoppers right across the south."

Hammerson, the owners of West Quay, withdrew its opposition to the store at the 11th hour after it signed an agreement with Ikea for a walkway to its shopping centre.

Along with John Lewis, Hammerson raised doubts about Ikea's projected turnover of £55m a year.

They claimed Ikea's estimated 2.4 million shoppers - about 9,000 on a Saturday - would harm trade and clog the roads. John Lewis stood by its objection. Port owners ABP, had also raised concerns about traffic.

Ikea slightly raised its prediction of a 15 per cent increase in traffic to better take into account other developments and football match days.

It has agreed to widen the right turn out of Harbour Parade into West Quay Road to two lanes and add another left turn lane from Southern Road into West Quay Road. The store will have one entrance from West Quay Road. Existing bus and rail links were accepted as adequate.

The Secretary of State for Communities Hazel Blears could still call in the planning application for a public inquiry.