South coast automotive group Hendy will open a Car Store used car showroom in Ferndown, Dorset, next year.

It will showcase around 200 vehicles and feature a sales suite and on-site parking.

The new site is set to open early in 2019 and create more than 20 new jobs in the area.

Planning for the facility has already been granted and construction work is set to start in the next few weeks at Compton’s Yard on Ringwood Road at St Leonards.

Hendy chief executive Paul Hendy, said: “We have a long association with Dorset and have had a number of outlets in the county in the past so we are thrilled that planning has been granted for this new facility.

“We will be creating new jobs, transforming a derelict site and providing car buyers in Dorset with the high quality they have come to expect from the Hendy Group.”

The Car Store opening is part of the company’s overall expansion plans and will replicate a similar operation in Exeter where its Car Store has proved a huge success.

“Our award-winning Car Store concept is based on offering the best choice of cars at the most competitive prices without compromising on the customer experience,” added Hendy.

The group currently has 12 franchises in 25 locations and employs more than 1,000 people in Hampshire, Sussex, Surrey, Kent and Devon.