“Desperately worrying for us.”

Anne Thompson, who owns Seaspray fish and chip shop in Low Lane, touched on the group’s charity work and maintenance of the village toilets, which close December 31.

She said: “There is no lack of willingness on the part of businesses and the customers who support us, to be fully involved in realising our aims, and it is therefore desperately worrying for us that we could lose our market and library.

“We don’t expect to sit back and have everything done for us, far from it, but what we do ask is that council treat us fairly and help those who help themselves.

“Birstall is probably unique in North Kirklees in that there are currently no vacant retail premises. There is no doubt that this would change if there are fewer reasons for people to visit us. And we would ask you therefore to give very careful consideration to any decisions which have to be made.”