Plans to invest £11 million to give Bingley's dilapidated Myrtle Walk shopping precinct a bright new future are still on track, according to the owner.

Although the scheme was announced more than two and a half years ago, there have been few signs of real progress.

But owner Fordgate of London claims it is still keen to push ahead and hopes to make an announcement within the next few weeks.

Director Chris Wyman says that the company is just as committed to the scheme as when it was first revealed in the Telegraph & Argus in spring 1998 and that the amount of time it was taking to bring it to fruition was 'painful'.

He was responding to frustration expressed at a meeting called by Shipley MP Chris Leslie regarding the future of Bingley's regeneration.

David Restall, who runs a bargain store in the precinct, called on Mr Leslie to apply more pressure on Fordgate and get things moving. He said: "You have to put pressure on these people, you have to do your bit. When I took it over 15 to 16 years ago there were people in the arcade. It needs demolishing.

"The arcade is dirty and I wouldn't want to shop in Bingley. It's the last place I would want to be. People don't want to be here. They want to be somewhere else.

"What has happened? You have to put the pressure on Fordgate or the planners or is it going to be another relief road scenario for the next 34 years!" Mr Wyman said he was hoping to finalise details of an agreement with supermarket operator Safeway shortly and this would be followed by a further agreement with Bradford Council over technical details.

He said that the original plans submitted had been altered subsequently but could not comment on specific details.

He said: "Myrtle Walk is a very disappointing shopping centre. It's not good for us and not good for the town centre. The process we have been through is to design a layout acceptable to Safeway.

"We have not had final confirmation from them that they are 100 per cent happy with the layout. We are trying as hard as we can but they are determining the pace.

"We have other stumbling blocks but once we have an agreement in place with Safeway, the ball is in their court.

"We have no interest in continuing to own a 1960s shopping mall which nobody including ourselves are happy with - but if we have to exercise patience, then we will do so.

"The people of Bingley are innocent bystanders in all of this. We want to be able to deliver something good."