DEMOLITION work is taking place at the site where a new convenience store in the Bradford district will be built.

Plans for a new Co-op store on Bingley Road, Saltaire, were approved by Bradford Council on the site of a car wash, which shut earlier this year.

Co-op confirmed it would be moving from its current unit further up Bingley Road into the newly-built store.

Bradford Telegraph and Argus: An artist's impression of the new Co-op store in Saltaire An artist's impression of the new Co-op store in Saltaire

Now demolition work has taken place to knock down Qasim’s Hand Car Wash building which was formerly on the site.

The main structure of the petrol station-style roofing, which the hand car wash business used, has now been demolished, with diggers spotted on-site this week.

Despite work going on to clear the site, it remains unclear about the timeline of when the new store will be built or a date when it will open to customers.

Bradford Telegraph and Argus: The Co-op's current store on Bingley Road in Saltaire The Co-op's current store on Bingley Road in Saltaire

A Co-op spokesman said: “Co-op is delighted to have the opportunity to open a new, improved, store to better serve the community – it will work to develop the range, choice, products and added services to create a compelling offer to serve the community, conveniently.

“Contractors are on-site, however it is too early to confirm when it will be handed over to Co-op for the building – which the Co-op will lease when completed - to be fitted out and, then launched.”

The new single storey Co-op store will have a 265sqm sales are and a 125sqm “back of house” area, parking spaces for 14 cars and eight bicycles.

Bradford Telegraph and Argus: An earlier image of demolition work at the former hand car wash site in Saltaire An earlier image of demolition work at the former hand car wash site in Saltaire

In a brief statement the retailer confirmed last September: “Subject to licensing and planning, we are looking to relocate our existing Bingley Road store to a new site further up the road.”

A co-op spokesman added the new Saltaire store will include a focus on fresh, healthy products, and everyday essentials.

Planning permission for the new Co-op store was granted by Bradford Council in September last year. It was submitted by Eco Developments (Yorkshire).

Before it was approved, the proposal received a number of objections from residents and groups.

These included Shipley Town Council who, submitted their objection in May last year, claiming it would undermine other Saltaire businesses, adding the new store would encourage car travel in an already busy area.

Another firm has previously attempted to build a store on the same site.

In 2016 Sainsbury's was granted permission to build a convenience store but the development never went ahead.