Shopping giant Morrisons could steam ahead with a multi-million pound scheme expected to bring hundreds of jobs to the district.

The company has agreed an access scheme with planning officers after months of talks.

Now a full planning application for a superstore, factory and petrol filling station is expected to go to the Council's planning sub committee this month.

The company says the scheme could bring 350 new jobs and the superstore will be completed next year.

The scheme hit problems last year because officers were concerned about an access planned from Rushton Avenue to the former GEC factory site in Thornbury, where the shopping complex will be built.

The officers asked the company to do a traffic impact survey and study other options.

But today a planning spokesman said both sides had agreed an alternative which involved acquisition of a piece of land at Bradford Moor First School.

He said it would mean a new traffic light-controlled junction and the provision of a cycle lane.

The 83,000 sq ft store will be in the company's new Market Street style and bigger than the refurbished Mayo Avenue superstore.

But the development at the Thornbury Direct Centre behind the B&Q store on the Woodhall Retail Park will be smaller than Enterprise 5 at Idle.

It comes hard on the heels of a major refurbishment of the Girlington Victoria store and construction of a new Farmers Boy factory at Cemetery Road.

The company will build a new factory for engineers GEC Alsthorn nearby in order to acquire the land for the shop development.

Council leader Councillor Ian Greenwood said: "I am always pleased to see jobs coming to Bradford."

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