The people of Bingley have every right to be alarmed at the proposals on the drawing board for the redevelopment of this historic community.

Many of them will be looking forward to a traffic-free town centre when the relief road opens this September, and a more pleasant and comfortable shopping area.

But some of the proposals suggested have been quite rightly greeted with horror by residents and traders.

One idea suggests that the whole green space at the heart of Bingley should be transformed into what would effectively be one giant car park.

And, grotesquely, the famous Bingley Arts Centre should be demolished and replaced with a supermarket and attendant car parking.

Not only is this the last thing the district needs, it would be robbing the community of a highly-important arts facility, the impact of which would be devastating in the light of the recent bad news about the Priestley Centre in Little Germany.

What is an enjoyable area of Bingley, a green oasis for residents and workers alike, would become nothing more than a concrete nightmare.

Part of Bingley's charm lies with the arts centre, the greenery surrounding it and the historic market place, which form a natural centre.

To suggest ditching all this in favour of a money-spinning supermarket would seem to be madness, particularly when there is plenty of scope for real and useful development which would benefit the community over at the Myrtle Walk area.