Bradford East MP David Ward has labelled a Council plan to permit an Asian bazaar inside a former Morrisons in Bolton as “outrageous” because it now includes bussing traders a mile and a half through busy traffic and fails to acknowledge local opposition.

Officers are currently considering the scheme for a fashion and fancy goods market in the old supermarket building on Idle Road.

The original application was for a six-month market licence to allow 74 market stalls to operate in the building. It said the market would be open from 11am until 7pm from Saturday to Wednesday with parking for customers on the roof of the building and at the Swing Gate Pub.

It was first suggested that traders would park their vehicles at the rear of the former supermarket which was recently a QLM store.

But it then emerged the Swing Gate Pub had not given not given permission to the applicant to use their car park.

As a result the Council asked the applicant to submit alternative parking arrangements and the number of stalls has been dropped to 50.

“I believe it is outrageous that the Council has continued to process this application without speaking to any residents and ignoring the request of local councillors to give time for our own consultation,” Mr Ward said.

“The Lib Dem councillors and I were shocked to hear that the Council was prepared to grant a licence for this kind of application without first checking that the applicant’s claims were true,” he said in an e-mail to Bolton constituents.

“Even worse was the decision by both the highways and markets departments that there was no need to consult with residents,” the Lib Dem MP said.

Lib Dem research found 95 per cent of residents opposed the plans, many agreeing that parking and traffic congestion were major concerns.

Mr Ward added: “On Thursday last week my office received an update from the Council’s markets manager who informed me that ‘the revised plan to mitigate the loss of spaces in Swing Gate pub car park is to provide l a total of 64 customer car parking spaces on site l 36 spaces on the roof of the QLM building accessed from Idle Road l and 28 spaces in the rear servicing area accessed from Bolton Road.’ “There are also some designated short stay spaces on Idle Road opposite the site.

“Agreement has been reached with the East Ward Labour Club on Otley Road for use of 50 spaces in its car park for traders and the applicant is proposing to run a shuttle bus service to transport traders between the car park and the QLM site.

“The Council’s highways department has confirmed that the proposed level of on-site parking in conjunction with the off-site trader parking would be adequate to serve this site and the proposal would not lead to any major highway safety problems.”

Mr Ward said this latest proposal was also unacceptable and cast doubt on the plan to transport traders.