Co-op confirms planned move to new Saltaire site

The Co-op has confirmed that it will move from its current space in Saltaire into a new build unit on the same street – if planning permission is granted.

In April, a planning application was submitted to Bradford Council that called for the demolition of a hand car wash on Bingley Road, and the construction of a new convenience store in its place.

No details were given of the end user of the new store.

Last month, a new licensing application by the Co-op group to sell alcohol from a new premises on the street seemed to hint that the new store would be a new build branch for the company.

And now the Co-op has confirmed that if the application is approved, it will relocate from its current site into the new building.

It would leave the existing unit, which would retain the planning use as a convenience store, vacant.

In a brief statement the retailer said: “Subject to licensing and planning, we are looking to relocate our existing Bingley Road store to a new site further up the road.”

In 2016, an application to build a Sainsbury’s Local on the site was approved by Bradford Council.

The shop was never built, and last year the supermarket giant conceded it would not be moving forward with the plan.

The new application, submitted by Eco Developments (Yorkshire) is for a store with a 265sqm sales are and a 125sqm “back of house” area, along with parking spaces for 14 cars and eight bicycles.

It has attracted a huge number of objections, with 185 people writing to the council opposing the plans.

However, many of these objections were made before it was revealed that the store would be a new Co-op, with many objectors praising the business and saying a new store would prove to be unwanted competition for it.

Others have objected to the design of the building, with one objector claiming the new store could lead to a similar situation seen in Liverpool, with Saltaire’s Unesco status jeopardised by this “mundane” new development.

And other objectors raise concerns about the traffic the new store would bring to the busy street.

Shipley Town Council has objected to the plans, saying: “The nature of the proposed retail unit appears to encourage car travel. Additional car journeys on Bingley Road will exacerbate the existing congestion and poor air quality. Cycling and walking need to be the primary travel modes for developments at this location.”

A decision on the application has yet to be made.

This Summer the council granted planning permission for another convenience store to be built nearby – on the former Northcliffe Garage site on Saltaire Road. Last month it emerged that store will be a new Tesco convenience store.