A parcel firm has been granted planning permission to build a £100 million distribution hub employing 1,000 people.
BDP was given the go-ahead for a 1,540sq ft depot on a 33-acre site at Hinckley Commercial Park by Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council.
The site – the largest of its kind in Europe and capable of handling 70,000 parcels an hour – should be fully operational by 2015.
DPD chief executive Dwain McDonald said: "I'm delighted by this news. This is another important step forward for the company and also for the region and our customers.
"The hub will look stunning. It will give us a state-of-the-art facility as well as the capacity we need to carry on providing a truly world-class service.
"We are a company that is growing fast and investing the proceeds in our infrastructure to keep on improving.
"I'm very proud of the fact we have been able to create so many jobs within our sector in the past few years and the building project itself will also create jobs directly on the site and in the supply chain.
The distribution hub is part of a £175 million investment announced by DPD in November.
It won £70 million of new business from online retailers last year, partly down to a service offering a one-hour delivery window.
The company has three other hubs, all in the West Midlands, and 40 depots around the country.
Borough council leader Councillor Stuart Bray said: "We have been working closely with the development partners to help them to secure the appropriate infrastructure and design of the scheme.
"This will secure more than 1,000 jobs for the area and provide opportunities for apprenticeships.
"We look forward to working with the management of the company to maximise the benefits arising."
The company employs 6,700 people in the UK and delivers 1.6 million parcels a week.
