A wedding shop owner who won a long-running battle to expand her business has now opened a shop in a disused doctors’ surgery.

Sarah Scaife, the owner of Simply Wedding and Designer Dresses, has opened a new shop after giving the former Springfield surgery on the outskirts of Bingley a refurbishment costing thousands of pounds.

Mrs Scaife had faced disappointment after Bradford Council turned down her planning application to move into the surgery from her former premises in Main Street, Bingley.

She feared she would have to move from the town if she had not been allowed to re-locate.

However fellow shop owners rallied around and raised a petition of more than 200 signatures in support of a second application. That was granted by planners and the new shop has now opened its doors.

Mrs Scaife said: “I had a lot of people coming in to support me and we got all the traders behind us and, the second time, planning permission went through.

“I was absolutely elated because it meant that we could stay in Bingley and bring more trade into the town, rather than move out of the area.”

The original shop opened in 2008 selling wedding dresses but quickly grew to expand its range of designer, prom and bridesmaid dresses.

A report to Bradford Council said the shop’s rapid expansion meant it needed more parking and to provide a more “exclusive image”. The previous premises stood next to charity shops and opposite a kebab shop and had been a target for anti-social behaviour.

Mrs Scaife said: “We would like to thank all the businesses – most of them in Bingley – for getting behind us and all the people who came into the shop and wished us well.”

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