Tesco’s slogan is “every little helps”… but planning officials are investigating complaints that the supermarket has helped itself to a bit of extra height while building its new store in Queensbury.

According to residents in the village, the Brighouse Road store is being built 8ft taller than the height originally approved by Bradford Council in June last year.

But Tesco has refuted the claims, saying construction work is well within the authority’s planning regulations.

Brenda Gill, of Brunswick Street, whose house backs on to the development, claims the store is not only higher than permitted but is also closer to her home than was originally planned.

She said: “When they originally put the application in, I was only going to see the top of the building. Now it’s gone up by 8ft. It seems these people can get away with building what they like when they like and they don’t have to take anything down. They are blocking the view from my window.

“It’s disgraceful and it’s changed the whole standard of my life. I can’t sleep at night. The value of my house has dropped.”

Jean Chalcraft, of Cheriton Drive, said the store’s service yard was being built closer to her home than planned and a landscaped area in between was made up of stone gabions.

She said: “I have been so unhappy with the change from what I had to what I have now. The stress is appalling. Sometimes when the stress has been really bad I feel physically ill.”

Councillor Michael Walls (Con, Queensbury) said: “I have asked council officers to do measurements. I suspect the application to increase the height of the building was decided by officers. I did object to the site in the first place as it’s in a conservation area. As far as making an application to increase the height, it should be referred back to the planning panel.”

A Tesco spokesman said: “Everything is being done according to the planning regulations. We have planning permission for this. We went through the democratic process with the Council. It might not be what they (the residents) were expecting but it’s certainly within the planning permission that we have.”

A Bradford Council spokesman said: “We are currently looking into enquiries from local residents regarding the current development works.”