The future of a derelict building in Shipley remains uncertain after plans to transform it into a bar were rejected.
The former Bargain Booze shop in Saltaire Road has remained empty since the business re-located to larger premises across the street.
Plans that would have seen it turned into a bar have been refused by Bradford Council because of where the building lies – on one of the district’s busiest roads, a short distance from Shipley Fire Station and not far from the often congested Saltaire roundabout.
One councillor thinks the location means the future of the building should be limited to a use that creates the minimum amount of traffic.
The planning application was submitted by Steve Ball in October, who wanted to turn it into a bar called Saltaire Tapps.
But planning officers dismissed the plans last month, saying: “The proposal is located on a busy main road (A657) and fails to provide adequate off street parking facilities to support the proposed use.
“It will result in additional on street parking and additional vehicle movements due to customers being dropped off and picked up outside the premises and affecting the safe and free flow of traffic on the highway.”
Marc Taylor, agent for Mr Ball, said he had not purchased the building, and the application was a speculative one, adding: “We always thought the highways department might have a problem with it, and it has obviously been refused for that reason.” There are no plans to re-submit the application.
It is not the first vision for the building to be foiled by traffic concerns.
In April last year Vipin Joshi applied to turn the building into a coffee shop, but this was refused for almost exactly the same reasons a month later.
Although it has a Shipley address, the building lies just over the road from the Saltaire World Heritage Site.
Councillor Martin Love said: “It is a very busy road, including on street parking, and this would have put more pressure on that area.
“When it was Bargain Booze it was fine because you had one or two cars parked there at most and they were there for about five minutes.
“I think the only future use of that site can only be retail of some description. We don’t want it to remain empty.
“There are two other off licenses nearby, so I imagine it will end up as some other form of retail.
“It will have to be something where there isn’t a lot of people driving there in the evening.”