THE fate of Tesco in Holmfirth will be decided by just one man.

And John Gray, planning inspector, who yesterday began to hear the arguments for and against the superstore, which Kirklees councillors rejected last July, admitted concerns.

Tesco want to open a supermarket at the former Midlothian Garage site on New Mill Road.

A rival site in Honley is being suggested by Kirklees Council.

Tesco is backed at the public planning inquiry at the Media Centre by George Senior and other members of the Holme Valley Voices, and Clr Nigel Patrick.

They face opposition from members of Keep Holmfirth Special, seven of whom may speak at the inquiry.

Morrisons, Lidl, the Co-op Group and Wooldale Cooperative Society are also interested parties expected to speak in opposition at the six-day hearing.

The Planning Inspector made a number of comments during the first day of the hearing which suggested he has concerns about the Holmfirth site.

Mr Gray said: “I have some difficulty getting my head around this application due to the geography. I drove around after rush hour yesterday and came up New Mill Road totally by accident.

“I saw a piece of land and wondered if that was it but thought it couldn’t be so kept driving and finally saw it.

“My immediate thought was ‘it’s a long way up the hill’. I then went along Miry Lane and had to turn out into the wrong side of the road, thankfully it was empty.

“Just driving along those roads for the first time, the idea to get a supermarket there is slightly worrying me.

“I also went to the Honley site, the access and road seems to be much better. Again, whether it’s an edge of centre location is one argument. Certainly Honley is a much smaller centre than Holmfirth”.

Mr Gray said he was highlighting his thoughts to allow counsel to direct their case.

Rupert Warren QC, for Tesco , told the inquiry: “Where people shop is an important aspect of how sustainable a place is. Some 80-85% of Holmfirth residents shop in large stores in and around the edge of Huddersfield and in Meltham.

“Kirklees Council accepts that there is a need for a new retail superstore of the scale provided in this area”.

He said there was no site within or in the edge of Holmfirth centre.

“It is, we say, the best site which is available and suitable for the kind of development that is needed.”

He said the benefits included the regeneration of a “disused and scarred site”. He added Tesco would be providing a hopper bus linking the store to Holmfirth town centre and the store would save 5.6million miles in car journeys.

Mr Warren disputes that the Keith Drakes/Reins site in Honley, which Kirklees Council argues is sequentially preferable, is available and suitable due to it being a flood risk.

The Honley site, which includes the council’s highways depot, is being considered by Morrisons for a supermarket. Appeal papers by Morrisons claim Tesco twice tried to bid for the Honley site in 2011 and 2012. Morrisons are expected to argue that it cannot be unsuitable if Tesco wanted it.

Peter Firth, Kirklees Council’s highways expert, said residents would have to live with an “unacceptable increase in traffic and flow, environmental impact, increase in safety risk and more delays” if the Midlothian site were chosen.

Mr Gray questioned if people would walk the 1,300m walk from Holmfirth. He said: “A supermarket in Holmfirth or Honley will save miles, any number is a relatively crude estimate.

“I am a bit sceptical how many other people particularly if they are carrying something heavy, will walk. I would walk if I had the time but not everyone will”.

Click here to see our live reports from day two of the inquiry.