Opposition to the renewal of permission for a new Tesco supermarket in Ilkley is gaining in strength, with calls from local bodies for district planners to reassess the application.

Dozens of objections to the plans have now been submitted to Bradford Council by residents, and both Ilkley Parish Council and Ilkley Civic Society are calling on the authority to consider issues which have arisen since the original scheme was agreed three years ago.

Parish councillors have highlighted increased potential highways problems – including concerns about delivery access and private parking.

Meanwhile, Ilkley Civic Society is citing increased road congestion, the opening of two other supermarkets in Ilkley since the original application was made and the rise of online shopping, as reasons for Bradford Council to take a fresh look at the scheme.

Ilkley Civic Society chairman, Helen Kidman, says several new arguments, in addition to older points, need careful consideration.

She says the context for the decision has changed because of the passage of time.

Mrs Kidman said: “This wouldn’t be the case if the store had been built, but we don’t even know how soon construction work will commence, let alone when the store will open and the existing site be freed up for development.”

There has been a “marked increase” in general traffic levels on Valley Drive, Little Lane and Railway Road in the past three years, she said. Mrs Kidman also cited the opening of Morrisons and Marks & Spencer stores have made an impact on Tesco’s market share, meaning the firm’s retail impact study is no longer valid and needs to be looked at again.

Mrs Kidman warned residents it would be too late to object in five years’ time.

Tesco’s plans to redevelop its current Springs Lane site, and build a bigger new supermarket off Railway Road and Mayfield Road, was approved by a Government planning inspector in 2010 following a hard-fought public inquiry in Ilkley. The two schemes had previously been rejected by Bradford Council a year earlier.

But despite demolishing the old Spooner Industries factory on the site, Tesco has not built the new store within the three-year time limit specified in the planning consent.

The company, which has yet to meet all the requirements of other planning conditions, recently resubmitted both planning applications to Bradford Council for a renewal of permission, to extend the time it has to complete the developments.

The agent acting on behalf of Tesco believes there are no planning policies or other material considerations which suggest planning permission will not be granted.

Let us know your views. E-mail the editor at george.hinton @gazetteandobserver.co.uk.