Staffordshire Moorlands Council gave the green light to the proposals, which also include building more than 100 homes on the Churnet Works site, off Macclesfield Road in Leek.
The supermarket giant ran into protests from local residents who staged demonstrations over planned alterations to the town’s road network.
It will now fund £1m of highway changes, which are subject to a separate agreement with Staffordshire County Council.
Sainsbury’s regional development executive, Michael Adenmosun, said: “Our first priority is to build the new employment units and then open the Sainsbury’s store. We will finalise our construction programme over the coming months.”
The retailer says the development will create 350 new jobs and claw back more than £11m in business lost to neighbouring towns.
- 11 new purpose-built employment units to house existing tenants
- A 40,000sq ft Sainsbury’s foodstore with a petrol station
- 100 houses and apartments, 50% of which will be affordable housing
- 3 bulky goods retail warehouse units
- Recycling centre
- Public park
- Conservation area
- Public open space throughout the site and along the River Churnet
- Improvements to the existing highway network