Concerns raised that pavements too narrow for elderly and disabled people to access new Mirfield Aldi

The question was raised by Philip Parsons, who lives at Royd Court, said some residents would not be able to access the supermarket.

He said: “Royd Court is an independent living retirement complex quite near the new supermarket, but the footpath linking Royd Court to it is very non user-friendly, particularly for anyone with mobility issues.

"In places, the footpath has a significant sideways slope and is also too narrow to be negotiated safely in a wheelchair or electric scooter.

"A significant number of Royd Court residents use mobility aids and those that are able enough enjoy the independence of going to the local shops on their own.

"Some would like to try out Aldi, which is substantially nearer than the local Co-op, but they are too nervous to attempt the 200 metre of hazardous footpath.

"One resident recently – a walking stick user – was trying out the footway but he fell before he got to the supermarket, due to the conditions of the footpath.”

He said Kirklees Council was first made aware of this issue in November 2023, when work began on the store.

He was told a council technician advised that ”there were no defects to report and believes the footway can be travelled on safely”.

Mr Parsons added: “A great deal of money has recently been spent on footpaths in Huddersfield town centre.

“It is a great pity that some older Mirfield residents will be penalised because nothing is left to correct this problem.”

David Shepherd, executive director for place at the council, said: "When planning permission was granted for the Aldi development in Mirfield, it was determined that no modifications to the footway between the site boundary and Royd Court were necessary, as this section lies on third-party land and falls outside the applicant’s control.

"Widening the footway would have narrowed Huddersfield Road, impacting the carriageway.

"The works identified within the planning permission were designed to be both achievable and appropriate in scale to the development."

Aldi was approached by the Reporter but declined to comment.