Developers have lost their bid to use part of a new multi-million pound leisure development being built in the heart of the city for shopping.

Senior planning officers have used delegated powers to refuse an application to use a unit in the development in Centenary Square as a shop.

The developers, Asda St James, were originally given planning permission 18 months ago for a leisure scheme including bars and restaurants on the prime site in front of City Hall.

Towering Provincial House was demolished to make way for the far lower scheme and building work is under way.

But shocked traders were told three months ago that the developers wanted to use three of the five units for retail instead.

Asda St James originally had an application for retail in three units but then withdrew two of them.

The company told the Council when it applied to change the use that two major licensed operators had signed up for two units but there was insufficient interest from food and drink operators in the other three at that stage.

But the application to put shopping in the £8 million complex sparked objections from other traders in the city.

Today Bradford Chamber of Trade and Bradford Retail Action Group both welcomed the refusal to change the use of the unit. Their officials said the Council was right for sticking to its original decision to allow the building to be used for restaurants and bars.

No comment was available from the Leeds-based developers.

The complex is expected to open later this year.

Chairman of the regulatory and appeals committee Councillor Stanley King (Con, Heaton) said: "It isn't the right place for retail. We sympathise with people who have difficulty finding tenants but speculative building is still a risky business. I am sure there will not be vacuums and I wish them success."

Chairman of Bradford Retail Action Group Jeff Fankel said: "I think this would have been retail through the back door as they didn't apply for it originally. This decision is good news for the city."

Val Summerscales, secretary of Bradford Chamber of Trade, said: "We are determined to make a success of the new Broadway shopping scheme and would not have liked anything like a change of use for a scheme in Centenary Square to jeopardise it."

Senior planning officer Mohammed Yousuf said: "It did not fit in with the original concept of the scheme, which was for food and drink use."