MP Jon Cruddas has hailed plans to turn a pharmaceutical factory into a leading business park in Dagenham.

Global drug maker Sanofi will pull out of its 108-acre factory site in Rainham Road South in 2013.

The firm was last week given outline planning permission to regenerate the stretch of land with a new supermarket, 80-room hotel, health centre and a business park called businesseast.

The multi-national company hopes its “legacy plans” will create up to 2,500 jobs.

Mr Cruddas, the MP for Dagenham and Rainham, said: “Sanofi have been working hard to ensure there are as many jobs as possible on the site and I am very confident of a couple of thousand jobs for local people.

“The public have been involved throughout and we all have to pull together to get the best possible deal for local people, including health services and community sports and social facilities.”

Sanofi are in talks with companies to open a 9,200 sq m supermarket and a hotel in 2013 or 2014 and the NHS to give residents a 2,800 sq m clinic with a dental surgery.

Plans to open a restaurant and two synthetic football pitches with floodlighting have also been approved.

Mark Kass, enterprise development manager at Barking Enterprise Centre, said: “This is good news for Dagenham and presents a major development site opportunity that could put Dagenham on the map.

“Job creation potential for residents is fantastic and Sanofi have done a great job in working with the public and private sector to ensure that these plans fit the need of the borough long before they vacate the land.

“I hope promoting the site as businesseast will attract significant world-class investment into Dagenham East.”

Councillors unanimously endorsed the regeneration plans at Barking Town Hall on March 5.

Sanofi site leader at Dagenham, Jim Moretta, said: “We are determined to leave behind a legacy when the plant closes.”