A proposed new convenience store in Steeton has been given the green light after planners said it would “address the retail deficiency” in the village.

Ilkley-based Candelisa’s application for a 443 square metre store on land north of Longlands, Skipton Road, was approved by Bradford Council last week.

One local councillor said although he was happy Steeton would soon have a new store, it could turn Skipton Road into an even bigger traffic bottleneck than it already is.

The store will create up to a dozen jobs and a 12-space car park will be included.

Although no chain has been publicly announced as moving on site, planning agent Clive Brooks said there was an operator signed up and construction would start as soon as possible.

Approving the application, planning officer Alison French said: “The convenience store of this size, in the central sustainable locality proposed, would assist in addressing the retail deficiency Steeton and Eastburn currently experience.”

Councillor Andrew Mallinson has recently raised the issues of heavy traffic on the road and has mixed feelings about a store being built there.

He pointed out that the area would also see an estate of over 200 homes off Thornhill Road completed soon, adding to the amount of traffic on the road that provides the main access to Airedale Hospital.

The developers of the estate, Redrow Homes, have said they would have traffic lights to deal with the issue, but Coun Mallinson said their effect would not be known until the estate was completed.

On the latest approval he said: “The road is already extremely busy and, combined with the new housing estate and the fact the emergency services use this road a lot, means there are concerns this could make the road a bottleneck.

“The roads are already at capacity and can barely handle the traffic. We’ll have to see how things work when the new lights go in.”

But he admits that with few shops in Steeton the proposal could be beneficial.

The approval includes a pedestrian refuge in the middle of the road to improve safety.