SUPERMARKET giant Tesco has confirmed: We want to be in Holmfirth.

The retailer has announced it will be submitting another plan for a superstore in Holmfirth.

The firm, which owns 30% of the UK supermarket share, withdrew its application to build a giant store off New Mill Road a year ago following a fierce campaign against the proposal, led by Keep Holmfirth Special (KHS) and Holme Valley Business Association (HVBA).

But the company yesterday confirmed it was once again planning to build a smaller – but still sizeable – supermarket on the former Midlothian Garage site.

SimonCwelcomed the development with open arms: “Ignore the small but well organised anti-Tesco brigade that pops up every time and get it opened!”

Markmyword49 had some frank words for those would-be protestors: “Supermarkets aren’t noted for opening stores where there are unlikely to be sufficient customers to make a tidy profit.

“They do their homework on the demographics of an area. Surely a better way of dealing with the fall out from a new store would be for the council to ensure that the disruption to the local community is minimised by ensuring that these companies pay the full amount for all the infrastructure alterations needed?

“Too often we see reported arguments about the paltry sums that they have been contracted to pay for these alterations.”

Magdale agreed: “The existing local shops need to change. Many of them are absolutely dire – stuck in the past. Holmfirth needs to move on from Last of The Summer Wine and create a town of really good shops where people actually want to go and spend some money.

“There are the customers in the hills but they go further afield to spend currently.”

But PDsteveo wanted to know details: “How is this going to work? Is Tesco going to pay for a Holmfirth bypass? No, thought not! All the customers from higher up the Holme Valley are going to have to come through the traffic lights on the end of Victoria Street and up Station Road.

“All the customers from the east are going to have use Huddersfield Road or New Mill Road. Where is the scope ie room for road improvements?”

HolmfirthLife saw only positives about the news: “YIPPPPEEEEEE!!!!!! Can we have a petrol station too? About time the Co-op got a bit of competition. Do the anti-Holmfirth Tesco lot all actually live in Holmfirth?

“175 jobs – great news. Welcome Tesco!”