Developers behind one of three supermarket schemes battling to be built in Shipley upped the ante today as they resubmitted their plans – along with a new application which could create an extra 170 jobs.

GMI Holdings, along with partners Network Rail and DB Schenker (Rail) UK, say the new ideas, to be lodged with Bradford Council, offer benefits which “cannot be matched”.

The new application includes five business units and a Network Rail maintenance depot alongside the rail track.

Ward councillor Hawarun Hussain said the improved plans put Shipley “between a rock and a hard place”.

Earlier this year GMI announced that it wanted to turn the Crossley Evans recycling site, at Otley Road next to the railway, into a £20 million retail scheme leaving the 100-year-old scrap merchants needing a new home.

GMI has now named the plan ‘Shipley Link’ and made changes which it says could lead to permanent job numbers increasing to about 650 from original plans, with additional temporary construction jobs.

A new ‘Supercrossing’ for pedestrians and cyclists is mooted for Otley Road; 80 parking spaces and a taxi pick-up and drop-off point are planned at Shipley station and the scheme now meets requirements for the ‘excellent’ BREEAM environmental rating.

The spokesman said: “The final amendment to the original application sees a reduction in the size of the store from a sales area of 46,200 sq ft to around 36,000 sq ft in response to requirements of potential operators and to also place the emphasis on grocery goods to complement the existing Shipley town centre offering.”

The plans are also expected to detail how existing traffic congestion could be reduced.

The new application includes about 26,000 sq ft of two and three-storey business units and the Network Rail maintenance depot.

The application is one of three supermarket plans on the table for Shipley. One is on land between Crossley Evans and Crag Road for a Morrisons and 94 homes, the other is for a supermarket at Airedale Mills, the current base of Cardinal shopfitters.

Managing director of GMI Chris Gilman said: “As the only one of the three proposed supermarket sites to sit on the edge of Shipley town centre, our scheme is alone in its ability to drive footfall and trade into the centre and add to the vitality of the town.

“As such, we have worked hard to make the most of our strong location by creating easy, safe walkways into the town and the fantastic Supercrossing is the most advanced option available. Together with three hours’ free parking it will encourage shoppers back to Shipley.

“The creation of the employment space is designed to meet the town’s need for modern business units and will create even more jobs, adding further life to Shipley town centre. We are confident that the benefits Shipley Link will bring to the town cannot be matched and are looking forward to the Council’s feedback.”

Crossley Evans boss Matthew Evans said he would be interested in seeing how detailed the plans were.

“This is the only site where granting a planning application would actually be detrimental to people on the site, and actually the whole of Bradford, because we would lose a rail siding,” he said, adding that using rail to transport metal for recycling was becoming increasingly important for environmental and financial reasons.

The plans are likely to be decided later this year.

Coun Hussain (Green) said people in Shipley would ideally to see the town centre redeveloped instead.

But she said the new plans were much improved and the only to have such high green credentials.

She said: “I feel like we’re stuck between a rock and a hard place. I like the idea of an energy efficient, all singing all dancing environmental development to showcase that it can be done, but if it has a negative impact on the town centre or residents, it’s not something we would want – no matter how energy efficient it was.”