Most people nowadays do their main "shop" of the week in a supermarket outside the city centre. It's convenient to buy most things under the one roof, especially for motorists who appreciate the close-at-hand parking space. Besides, there are few large supermarkets these days in the heart of cities, which is certainly the case in Bradford.

What is available in the city centre is something that most supermarkets can't provide: the personal service and competition between different businesses that a market like the Oastler Centre can offer to those wanting to buy meat, fish and greengroceries.

There is no reason why central food shopping of that sort and out-of-town supermarkets shouldn't complement each other. Bradford planning councillors need to bear that in mind when considering Tesco's application to build a new, improved store to replace its existing one alongside Canal Road.

Tesco has been messed around for a long time in Bradford, particularly by the cancellation of its plan to build a superstore as part of the Odsal Stadium development when Sterling Capitol pulled out of the project and by the earlier refusal of planning permission for redevelopment of the Canal Road site.

Yet it apparently still has confidence in the city, judging by its desire to spend a large amount of money boosting its presence here - a redevelopment of an existing business which might just tempt shoppers into the city centre on the basis they can drop in for their food shop on the way home.