Years of wrangling by supermarket rivals in Cleckheaton looks set to be at an end.

If follows the decision on Thursday by Kirklees Council planners to allow Tesco permission to rebuild on its Northgate site, creating a new store three times bigger than the current one.

They reduced the proposed height of the building by 2.4 metres. Tesco plans to use eight per cent of the floorspace to sell clothing and 2.7 per cent for books, stationery and entertainment. Domestic electrical goods would account for less than one per cent and they have no intention to sell white electrical goods.

Asda already has planning permission for a 5,650 square metre store and car park off Horncastle Street and Bradford Road - which was agreed in November, 2005.

Councillor Andrew Pinnock (Lib Dem, Cleckheaton) said: "It would be too difficult for Asda to resurrect their plans now."

Coun Pinnock said he understood Tesco had bought up some of the land Asda would need, and that some of the agreements Asda had with local landowners had expired.

Batley and Spen MP Mike Wood said he was pleased Tesco has allayed the fears of traders about the range of goods that would be on sale, as it would help protect the town's "vibrancy and viability".

"I still have concerns about the scale of the development and the impact it will have on the streetscape but councillors were clearly satisfied by the reductions made and the application now moves on to its next stage," he said.

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