PLANS to extend Huddersfield's Kingsgate shopping centre won strong support at a public meeting.

Developer WD Huddersfield, which owns the centre, outlined three ways to expand the retail complex to an audience at the George Hotel.

Centre manager Jonathan Hardy and WD managing director Peter Everest answered questions about the proposals, called Kingsgate 2, 2A and 2B.

WD's preferred option, Kingsgate 2, would provide 120,000sq ft of extra trading space on two floors, including stores of 5,000sq ft to 15,000sq ft to meet demands for larger stores.

A hotel would be built on the upper level, with a link to the Kingsgate car park.

The £50m scheme would extend Kingsgate by half.

Kingsgate 2A, valued at £70m, would provide 220,000sq ft of extra trading space.

It would be made up of two large stores and several major shops, as well as a library and leisure complex at the Shore Head corner of the Kingsgate scheme.

Kingsgate 2B, at £100m the most ambitious scheme, would provide 300,000sq ft of extra trading space.

It would include a large store and several major units, as well as a hotel extending over Kirkgate.

Mr Hardy said the meeting - and an earlier poll of shoppers - showed strong backing for Kingsgate 2A.

He added: "There was a healthy level of interest in our plans and people seem to approve of the idea of extending Kingsgate."

Mr Hardy said Kingsgate 2A would involve demolishing Oldgate House and the Chantry Housing properties.

But he said: "We demonstrated that whichever scheme we pursue would mean minimal disruption to the town, to shoppers and to traffic.

The meeting was attended by local people, representatives of town centre businesses and organisations including Huddersfield Town Centre Partnership, Huddersfield Market Traders' Association and pressure groups Huddersfield Gem and Huddersfield Civic Society.

Mr Hardy said WD would now invite formal comments from those groups and hold further talks with Kirklees Council.

But he added: "We are more certain now that the public seem to like what we are proposing.

"It has steeled our resolve to press ahead with the expansion," he said.