KEIGHLEY'S MP says long-delayed plans to build a new shopping complex off Keighley's East Parade could be an opportunity for Marks & Spencer to stay in the town.

John Grogan said he has spoken to bosses of UAIH group, who bought the derelict site in 2016 after previous owners scrapped their £30 million Worth Valley Shopping Centre project.

"They assured me that they would be shortly putting an application in for a new retail development on East Parade," he said.

"And it is possible that Marks and Spencer might be interested in opening in that development."

The current Keighley branch of Marks and Spencer, in Low Street, is under threat of closure, as revealed by the company last month. M&S said it had started consultations on the proposed closure with the established town centre store's 33 staff.

The news has triggered a shocked reaction from councillors, business representatives and local shoppers, some of whom have urged M&S to reconsider.

Mr Grogan said he and Bradford Council leader Cllr Susan Hinchcliffe are due to discuss the matter with senior M&S executives in London this week. (Feb 12-16)

He added: "The decision of Marks and Spencer to consult on closing their current store has focused attention on Keighley town centre.

"M&S have been associated with Keighley for a century and once had a major distribution centre here.

"I have visited the store and spoken to staff there. Emotions were running high."

He said if a planning application is put in for the East Parade development, it is important that clear links are established between this site and the town's existing shopping centre.

And he suggested Royal Arcade could prove the key to such links.

He said: "The Royal Arcade, which is one of Keighley’s hidden gems, could be a bridge between the two.

"I will want to gauge opinion amongst retailers and businesses when I speak to Keighley Business Club on February 19."

A spokesman for M&S, when contacted by the Keighley News last week, said it could not yet add anything further to the statement it released at the end of January when it first confirmed its Keighley store was being proposed for closure.

No one from UAIH had responded to a Keighley News request for comment by the time the paper went to print.

As reported late last year, the agent for UAIH said this firm hoped to submit a planning application for the proposed Aire Valley Retail Park “early in the first quarter” of 2018.

The agent noted that progress depended on the agreement of key retailers, with the signing up of well-known businesses being needed to provide an anchor that would benefit the rest of the site.