Plans for a proposed new supermarket in Bingley town centre went on show to the public yesterday.

Sainsbury’s has said it was encouraged by the response it received on the first day of the exhibition for the proposed store on the site of the former Bradford & Bingley headquarters in Main Street.

A snapshot survey in Bingley, carried out by the Telegraph & Argus, revealed shoppers and traders were keen to see the development.

Sainsbury’s spokesman Jeremy Fieldsend said: “It has been very encouraging and positive and a very good turnout.

“The feedback is that people want to something to happen with that building and they recognise that by having a Sainsbury’s right in the heart of the town centre, that it will help to revitalise the town centre and bring more people in.

“People normally worry about a supermarket that is not in the town centre, because if it is some way away from the town centre there’s concern people will go to the supermarket and not go anywhere else.

“That isn’t the case in Bingley because the site is bang in the middle of the town centre.

“And what it will do is bring more shoppers into Bingley and some of those are going to walk across the road and spend some money elsewhere.”

The site was bought by the company this year after 400 Bradford & Bingley staff based there had been transferred to at Crossflatts.

The supermarket plans to submit a planning application for the store, which is expected to create 250 jobs, early in the new year. Plans include 300 parking spaces on two levels of ‘under-store’ parking. The store will be on the first floor, with a cafe on the second floor.

Mr Fieldsend said the store will exist within the site of the former Bradford & Bingley headquarters and will not encroach on to Myrtle Park or Bingley Swimming Pool.

The exhibition was continuing from 10am to 3pm today at Cardigan House, Ferncliffe Road, Bingley.

For information on the proposals and the exhibition call the freephone consultation hotline on 0800 319 6162.