Armley supermarket plans given cautious welcome

Plans for a supermarket in Armley town centre have been given a cautious welcome by Leeds councillors. Members on the west plans panel yesterday heard developer Morbaine had submitted plans for a massive 90,000 sq ft two-storey supermarket with undercroft parking, a four-pump petrol station and creation of a new public square on a site bordered by Carr Crofts, Town Street and Modder Avenue in Armley. Morbaine hopes the unnamed major supermarket operator will create around 400 jobs and help rejuvenate the town centre. Members of the panel gave an early position statement on the development before a full planning application is submitted. They said they would welcome the principle of a supermarket in the area, but raised a number of issues that the developer would need to address before any formal plans could be passed. Some councillors raised concerns about the potential impact on existing Town Street traders. View Armley supermarket development in a larger map Committee chairman Labour Bramley and Stanningley councillor Neil Taggart said: "There are buildings on this site that are in a conservation area and are of particular value to Armley and really ought to be preserved. "The petrol station is an issue. People could come to it remotely and not visit the supermarket or traders on Armley Town Street - I'm not convinced we really need it." Other issues raised were the size of the development and its potential impact on existing Town Street traders; the need to signalise the junction of Carr Crofts and Tong Road; junction improvements to Town Street ought to be on opposite side of road in order to preserve buildings and the Carr Crofts railway bridge would need to be repaired. Developers were also told that the supermarket building had to match the quality of the design of the new Armley leisure Centre, situated almost directly opposite. Planning officers will feed back councillors' observations to the developers. Meanwhile, an outline proposal for almost 700 new homes for older people at Farrar Lane - opposite Holt Park Distirct Centre - were approved by councillors. What do you think? Have your say in the comments section below.