Plans for Bradford Council to ask to buy a car park from a bar and restaurant have been condemned as hypocritical by its owner.

The Old Tramshed’s managing director Andy Billingham said the landlord of the Saltaire business was forced to buy a car park from the Council ten years ago when the building was changed for its current use.

The car park, which can take 20 cars, is across the road from the bar in Bingley Road, but was considered necessary for the business to go ahead.

Shipley Area Committee met on May 1 to discuss changes to be made as part of the Saltaire roundabout improvement plan and heard from traders concerned about a loss of parking on Hirst Lane and Clarence Road.

A 224-name petition led by Stuart Hargreaves, of the 211 Deli in Bingley Road, said the proposals were “extremely damaging” and requested the Council provide a car park to mitigate the loss of parking.

It was agreed to approach Mr Billingham about the possibility of buying one of his three car parks for use by business customers and parents of children at Hirst Wood Nursery School. But Mr Billingham said the car parks are already used by those people and nearly two weeks on from the meeting, he has not been approached.

“If they chose to try to buy one of the car parks, it would be quite interesting because a the time when the building was changed, ten years ago, the landlords were forced to buy additional car parking,” Mr Billingham said.

“It would be complete nonsense.”

Mr Billingham said The Old Tramshed was already losing a small piece of land to allow for road and junctions to be widened. He is against the roundabout plans, which he thinks will not improve the area.

“We’re not in the mood for helping the Council in any way with the whole proposal because it’s crazy. It’s been going on for years, there’s far better way for the Council to spend millions and millions of pounds on in this area than that,” he said.

The £2 million project is included in the Council’s capital investment plan and will be paid for by the West Yorkshire Strategic Programme of Schemes and a £1.3 million grant from the Department of Transport. If the money is not spent on the project within a set time, it will be lost.

A spokesman for Bradford Council said the authority was hoping to arrange a meeting soon with Mr Billingham, but was also considering other options.