TESCO is "not wanted" in Haworth, according to the chairman of a council planning committee.

Councillor Barry Thorne, of Haworth, Cross Roads and Stanbury Parish Council, said members of the public expressed overwhelming opposition to the supermarket giant's plans to convert the Royal Oak, in Mill Hey, into a convenience store.

Tesco has also submitted a planning application to install a cash machine in a window of the pub.

Responding to Coun Thorne a spokesman for the supermarket emphasised that its plans for the Royal Oak would create up to 20 new jobs and would bring more business to Mill Hey while making use of a property that was no longer trading successfully as a pub.

Coun Thorne said the ATM application was recommended for refusal by members of the parish council's planning committee at their meeting on Monday evening. (Sept 22) The proposals are now being considered by Bradford Council planning officers.

Speaking after the meeting, Coun Thorne said: "When I first saw the application for a new ATM here I thought it was ludicrous and idiotic.

"It's the most dangerous place in Haworth to put something like this, so we recommended refusal on highways and public safety grounds. Also, there's already an ATM 15 yards away from this site.

"There must have been about 30 members of the public at the meeting, all of who were also opposed.

"We have this stupid situation where a pub can be changed into a little supermarket without planning permission, though they would need to follow building regulations."

"Tesco should just go away, they are not wanted."

He added that beyond planning considerations there was another reason why Tesco should not be welcomed. "Haworth is a fairtrade village and Tesco is about as fairtrade as Genghis Khan," he said.

However, the Tesco spokesman said: “We’d love to complement Haworth’s Fairtrade town status. We work with a range of organisations including the Fairtrade Foundation, Rainforest Alliance, the Marine Stewardship Council and the Forest Stewardship Council.

"We also work with the Ethical Trading Initiative to ensure decent working conditions in our supply chain.”

Enterprise Inns, the pub company which owns the Royal Oak, has not commented on the plans. But at least one local trader has warned that a new Tesco store would be a threat to existing small businesses in this part of Haworth.

The application for the cash machine has so far met with more than 60 objections from members of the public.