SUPERMARKET giant Morrisons has pulled out of plans to build a new store in Shipley, with politicians calling the decision “gutting”.

The Bradford-based retailer had won a fiercely competitive three-way contest to build a supermarket in the town three years ago, but has now confirmed that it has withdrawn from the scheme for commercial reasons.

Morrisons and developer Skipton Properties had won over a planning committee in December 2013 with their scheme Shipley Exchange, which also included 101 homes, a petrol station, a commercial development and an extension to Shipley railway station’s car park at the Crag Road site.

Skipton Properties is still ploughing ahead with other aspects of the development, and has now lodged more detailed plans for 85 homes on the southern part of the site, as well as the station parking near the railway line.

A Morrisons spokesman said: “Regrettably we have ended our involvement in the Shipley Exchange development.

“This was a difficult decision for us and we know it will be disappointing news for shoppers as the level of support shown for our plans was overwhelming.

“We are pleased that Skipton Properties has revised the plans to include additional new starter and family homes which will secure development of the site.”

Many people had suspected the Morrisons plan was being shelved, as new chief executive David Potts embarked on a high-profile rescue plan for the business, which included the closure of a number of existing stores including the one in Bradford city centre.

Shipley’s Conservative MP, Philip Davies, said he had held a meeting with Morrisons and Skipton Properties a few months ago, to find out what was happening with the scheme.

He said he told them it was “pretty obvious” that Morrisons seemed to be pulling out, but the firm had stopped short of confirming it.

He said: “It is disappointing. I was in favour of the scheme and I am certainly in favour of providing some competition for Asda in Shipley.”

Mr Davies said he was now keen to find out whether an upgrade to the junction of Crag Road and Carr Lane, which had formed part of the original plan, had now also been axed.

He described this junction as “an absolute nightmare”, adding: “I’m really keen that work isn’t lost.”

Ward councillor Vanda Greenwood (Lab, Windhill and Wrose) said she “was gutted” when she found out the retailer had withdrawn from the scheme as she had been one of its biggest supporters.

She said: “We were going to have a Morrisons, there was going to be a business area, it was going to be fantastic.”

But she said she was very pleased that the plans for new housing and the extra parking for the railway station were still on the cards, saying this would be “really good” for Shipley.

New planning documents lodged by Skipton Properties reveal the housing element of the scheme has also been beset with other problems.

When work began to clear the brownfield site last summer, it “quickly became apparent” that there had been extensive tipping there at some time in the past, the documents say.

Clearance work is still ongoing and is expected to last until the end of the month.

The soil is having to be turned over to a depth of nearly 10m in parts, with 135 tons of tyres, 230 tons of plastic, asbestos, roofing felt and wool among 300,000 tons of material so far recovered.