TOP supermarket chain Sainsbury's is about to launch plans for a supermarket in the centre of Otley.

A company spokeswoman revealed yesterday that a planning application was imminent and that full public consultation would be carried out.

Developers working for Sainsbury's Supermarkets Ltd have approached property owners and tenants in Bondgate - including Otley Fire Station - in an attempt to buy land for the new store.

West Yorkshire Fire Service, which owns the fire station, confirmed that a developer was interested in buying the land and had offered to build a replacement station somewhere else in the town.

And Leeds Development Agency, the property arm of Leeds City Council, which owns land in the area, has called a meeting with its tenants to discuss the proposals.

It is to undertake an assessment of the possible impact of a store in the area before discussing its findings with Otley members of the city council.

It is believed the development would take in the old tannery in Gay Lane which three years ago was the subject of a failed application by Netto Food Stores - upheld on appeal to the Department of Environment.

Pauline Wicking, joint owner of Clayax Yorkstone, Menston, owner of the old tannery, said she believed an application for the redevelopment of the tannery site would be submitted within the next month. "It is certainly a scheme encompassing the whole area," she said.

She believed the redevelopment of the old tannery as a supermarket would have great benefits for Otley. "We have been indirectly seeking planning permission since 1991- we would develop it if we had the money.

"I have lived in Otley for years and it used to be a thriving town but if something is not done, it will die."

A spokeswoman for Leeds City Council confirmed that the council had been approached by developers who were interested in developing land at Bondgate.

She said: "Due to this interest, and the fact that the developers are contacting owners and occupiers directly, we have contacted our own tenants on the site to inform them of the position.

"We are also carrying out a technical assessment in respect of this proposal and after this stage is complete, we will consult with ward members about our findings and inform them of the views of the council tenants."

A spokesman for the West Yorkshire Fire Service said the station was not up for sale but that a developer had contacted the authority with a proposal to buy the station in Bondgate and to replace it with a new one somewhere else in the town.

Meanwhile, city councillor Graham Kirkland (Lib Dem) is dismayed that the council has contacted its tenants without first informing ward members.

"This is a major development in a street with major traffic problems and yet I have not been informed. Existing supermarkets would benefit from a commercial challenge, but not by secret meetings behind closed doors," said Coun Kirkland. He is against the selling of the fire station and has written to chief fire officer, Jim Manuel.

"Traffic in Gay Lane, Bondgate and Kirkgate plus the junctions by the parish church and the Rose and Crown with the zebra crossing are already saturated," he said. "Tailbacks are very common and supermarkets generate big traffic flows."

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