The £8.5 million development will see Lidl and B&M set up shop in the town.

Within days of securing final planning permission from Fife Council, London & Scottish Investment’s contractor Muir Construction had heavy plant hard at work clearing the site.

Muir Construction will have a workforce of 30, for the ten-month construction phase, many of them local tradesmen or sub contractors.

The firm expects to complete the ground works by October 15, and move straight on to building a 20,000 sq ft unit for Lidl and a 27,000 sq ft unit, including an outdoors sales area, for B&M.

Both buildings and the 240 place car park are due to be completed by July next year with the stores ready for fitting and starting to trade around six weeks later.

Bryan Wilson, development director with London & Scottish Investments, who bought the site from Tesco in 2015, said: “This is a great development which represents a real shot in the arm for Cowdenbeath’s economy.

“We are delighted that Lidl and B&M have committed to the site. Local shoppers are going to be spoiled for choice.”

North End Park started life as Cowdenbeath FC’s home ground way back in the 1880s and the club played there till 1917, when it moved to Central Park.

The playing fields later became the home ground of Fife amateur club Hearts of Beath and were also used as a greyhound racing stadium from the 1930s until the 1970s, before the site was sold for development.