Years of wrangling by supermarket rivals in Cleckheaton look 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 store three times bigger than the current one.

The company reduced the height by 2.4 metres and the store will have a floorspace of 4,218 square metres. Tesco plans to use eight per cent to sell clothing and 2.7 per cent for books, stationery and entertainment. Domestic electrical goods would account for less than one per cent.

Asda has 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 landowners had expired.

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