Sainsbury's hopes to turn an Oxfordshire store into one of its most energy-efficient supermarkets and make shopping more eco-friendly.

The retail giant is seeking planning permission for a string of changes at the Witney Sainsbury’s under its new ‘stores of the future’ initiative.

Alder King Planning Consultants has made several applications to West Oxfordshire District Council.

These include an application to build a new glazed entrance lobby in front of the existing entrance to the store.

READ MORE: Witney teenager arrested after car crashes into pedestrian

Within the car park, plans include removing a lighting column and installing a new access ramp to serve the new relocated grocery online pick-up area, and 13 replacement trolley shelters.

There are also various reconfiguration changes which would increase the parking spaces by six.

The number of standard bays would be decreasing by four, the number of parent and child spaces increasing by three, and the number of online click and collect spaces would be increasing by seven.

Two trees would be removed to "future proof" the car park and make space for future electric vehicle charging points.

At the front, a large timber louvre would be installed over the existing turret feature's glazing.

The applicant says this is to "create a more customer-friendly frontage for the store and to reflect the new design across and within the store".

"The new design has implemented timber more prominently as a reflection of its location and Sainsbury’s commitment to being more sustainable," it adds.

As well as the main sign, a digital screen could be added to the front of the store showing the other ‘stores in stores’ Habitat, Argos and Tu and a digital screen on the side will show the same.

There would also be two new digital welcome walls on the front of the store and two new digital screens above the entrance lobby. 

The digital screens would be static but have the ability in the future to change.

In the car park and immediate surrounds illuminated totems - or 'wayfinding' features - would replace the existing signage.

Planning permission is also sought for the installation of new and replacement plant in the service yard.

This part of a package of measures being implemented by Sainsbury’s to achieve its target of being carbon neutral by 2035, says the applicant.

The plant consists of a refrigeration dual pack at ground level with two refrigeration gas coolers on a mezzanine above.

The gas coolers are to be fitted with acoustic shrouds to reduce noise emissions from the fans, and two air source heat pumps.

The plant will be split over a mezzanine erected in the service yard. There will also be a new package plant room on the first-floor mezzanine.

READ MORE: LTNs - Conservative councillor hits back at charge of 'hypocrisy'

All of the proposed plant will potentially operate 24 hours a day.

The level of operation will change to reflect demand, with the site’s demand being reduced at night, the application states.

Alder King Planning Consultants say an environmental sound survey has been carried out.

It states: "The noise level predictions demonstrate that cumulative noise emissions from the replacement plant will comply with the proposed limits at the nearest noise sensitive properties, inclusive of the proposed acoustic enclosure to the air source heat pumps and acoustic shrouds to the gas coolers."

Witney Town Council has made no objection to the proposals.