TOWN centre traders have demanded a head-to-head with Tesco and Kirklees chiefs over controversial plans for a new Huddersfield supermarket.

The retail giant says it is happy to meet shopkeepers, who say the proposal could squeeze the life out of their businesses.

About 750 people have now signed a petition, backed by Huddersfield MP Barry Sheerman, calling for more consultation over plans to demolish Huddersfield Sports Centre and replace it with a new Tesco.

Martin Stokes, who has a copy of the petition in his Cross Church Street store, Huddersfield Electronics, said: “If we get a Tesco down on Southgate we might as well put up a ‘closed’ sign in the town centre

“The weight of feeling against this is massive.

“It will decimate the town. It’s not easy at the moment, but if the Tesco gets built it will be impossible.

“It will kill trade. People won’t even bother coming into town; they will do everything at Tesco.’’

Mr Stokes added: “They claim it will create 270 new jobs. But how many will be lost in the town centre as a result of businesses closing?

“There are 13 empty shops in the Packhorse Centre. Within a couple of years it will be completely deserted.”

Under Tesco’s plan its existing store on Viaduct Street will be pulled down. The site will then be used for a hotel, shops, offices and flats.

A new sports centre would be built on Springwood car park.

Tony Coletta, who owns the Occasions shop on Market Avenue, said claims that Tesco would build a “new” centre were misleading.

He said: “There is a lot of talk about Tesco providing a new sports centre.

“They aren’t. They are just replacing the existing one and it is going to have no more facilities; at best they are replacing like with like and at worst there will actually be fewer facilities.”

He added that Kirklees Council would be guilty of double standards if it backed the plan, because it had already turned down a planning application to extend the Kingsgate Shopping Centre.

He said: “The council turned down plans to extend Kingsgate because it supposedly conflicted with the council-backed Queensgate scheme, which includes a hotel as the major anchor tenant.

“And yet part of the scheme for the existing Tesco site is a new hotel. Will that not conflict with the Queensgate plan?

“How many new hotels does Huddersfield need? It seems like double standards to me.”

The loss of car parking at Springwood would also cause a “massive amount of damage,” Mr Coletta added.

Tesco’s corporate affairs manager, Neil Skitt, said the company was happy to talk.

He said: “We have already met Huddersfield Town Centre Partnership and promised that we would go back to them once the details of the application are finalised.

“However, and in the meantime, we are always happy to talk to stakeholders and community groups. We would welcome a meeting with representatives of the traders to listen to their views and answer any questions.”