An outdoor clothing and camping equipment store looks set to join a coffee bar chain in the former Woolworths store unit in Ilkley town centre.

National chain Mountain Warehouse is seeking planning permission for shop signs at the remaining empty half of the unit on Brook Street.which forms part of the Station Plaza complex, owned by Edinburgh-based Hunter Property Fund Management. The other half of the unit was recently refitted and opened by another high street chain, Caffe Nero.

The building had stood empty until work began several weeks ago, following the closure of Woolworths in January 2009, with the loss of around 20 jobs.

Mountain Warehouse has more than 100 stores nationwide, the nearest branch being in Skipton.

Despite a number of retail businesses in Ilkley closing at the height of the recession, HPFM has always maintained that there was strong retail interest in the Station Plaza units. National chains including bookseller Waterstones and menswear retailer Austin Reed have both been linked with Ilkley retail premises.