Bingley people have given the thumbs down to plans to build a supermarket on the site of the old Cattle Mart.

A questionnaire organised by the Better Bingley Campaign showed that five times as many would prefer the redevelopment of the town centre Myrtle Walk site to the Cattle Market site.

The news has delighted Donaldsons, the firm which wants to spend £11 million revamping the precinct and creating a bigger supermarket.

Donaldsons managing director Richard Young said: "We are pleased that the survey confirms that our development is supported by the people of Bingley and work is progressing on our plans."

But the survey is a blow to Thornfield Properties Plc who want to spend £7 million building a store in Keighley Road.

The survey's authors note that: "There is not a lot of enthusiasm for a supermarket on the Cattle Market site with 39 per cent saying they would not use it at all compared with two per cent who would not use a supermarket in Myrtle Walk."

A total of 3,295 forms were sent out and 535 returned, a response of 16 per cent. Some 422 - 83 per cent - preferred the Myrtle Walk option.

Philip Smith, chairman of the Better Bingley Campaign, said: "Over the last few years there have been a number of surveys done.

"This one has shown that there is a unanimous view that a redeveloped Bingley town centre needs a supermarket in the middle of it.

"What developers have to bear in mind are the opinions of local people and pay attention to them. Many decisions are made without reference to the public."

No-one from Thornfield would make any comment.

Earlier this year the Telegraph & Argus revealed plans by Donaldsons to partially demolish the precinct, increase its size and add a 622-space car park.

It planned to rehouse the current supermarket, Safeway, in a new larger building on the site.

However, Safeway said they wanted nothing to do with the plans and sided with Thornfield, saying they wanted to move to the Cattle Market site.

No date has been fixed for the rival plans to be discussed by Bradford Council.

And an additional plan sees another smaller supermarket on Leonard Street.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.