BUSINESS leaders have warned plans for a Tesco store in Harrogate will create “traffic gridlock” in the area.

The supermarket giant is aiming to build a new outlet at New Park, and the borough council is expected to make a decision on the scheme later this year.

But chamber of commerce members have warned high-pressure gas mains on the site could create safety risks.

They also claim the plans would mean “an unacceptable level of congestion and delay on both the A59 and the A61”.

Members are also “not satisfied it is safe to create a new access road across the existing gasworks site”.

However, the chamber said it was not opposed to Tesco’s arrival on commercial grounds because it believed the store could attract customers to the town from outlying areas.

Matt Magee, the chain’s regional corporate affairs manager, said the store would lead to a reduction in traffic in the centre of Harrogate as people from the north of the town would have easier access to a supermarket.

He also said the Health and Safety Executive was “fully aware” of the plans in relation to the gasworks site and had no objection to them. About 70 per cent of local residents have backed the plans.