The headquarters of one of Bradford's biggest employers could be heading out of the city.

Yorkshire Co-operatives Ltd has been given the go-ahead to merge with United Northwest Co-op. If members agree, the main business's headquarters will head into Lancashire.

The Yorkshire Co-op, which currently has its headquarters in Sunwin House in Sunbridge Road, will ask its members to vote on the proposal in the next few weeks.

If agreed, the headquarters for the new business will be based in an office the Yorkshire Co-op already owns in Rochdale.

The deal would also see the Yorkshire Co-operatives name die as the new business will be called United Co-operatives.

A spokesman for United said: "A small head office will open in Rochdale, but neither society will shut offices anywhere else. There will be no impact on jobs - both societies are very successful and the move could even mean an increase in career opportunities."

Both Yorkshire and United have had seven and eight years, respectively, of successive profit and turnover growth.

Yorkshire, which trades throughout the region in 200 outlets and employs 4,000 people, has an annual turnover of £506 million.

The firm acquired United's department-store business in 1996. Yorkshire owns food outlets, motor dealerships, petrol stations, funeral operations and department stores.

Stoke-on-Trent-based United Northwest Co-op has an annual turnover of £1,022 million and trades largely in the North Midlands and the North West. It has food and travel outlets in North Wales and Yorkshire, as well as funerals operations in Northern Ireland.

The societies, which are known for their strong trading in food retailing, hope the deal will form a perfect partnership as it will combine United's presence in retail pharmacy and wholesale health care supplies with Yorkshire's department store and Sunwin motor businesses.

In total, the societies employ more than 15,200 people.

Approval from the directors will now be followed by a ballot of the societies members.

But agreements have already been reached about the two top jobs on offer should they merge.

Peter Marks, 52, who is currently chief executive of Yorkshire, will get the job of chief executive at the new society.

The new society's secretary will be Philip Jones. He currently holds the title at United Northwest.

The societies hope that if the ballot is successful the new business will be up and running in the early part of September.

Albert Drake, Yorkshire's president, said: "This is a merger from strength, and it is bound to bring benefits for active members, customers and staff.

"We want to create the strongest, most innovative co-op in the UK, and we know we're staring from a strong base.

"With the support of our active members and staff we know we can succeed."

Peter Senior, president of United Northwest, said: "Both societies are very pleased that we have already made so much progress towards bringing the proposed merger about.

"It is our job now to gain the support of our members for the proposals."

Mr Drake added: "Members' meetings will be held in both societies over the next month or so at which members will consider the merger and we hope they will give it their wholehearted backing."