Residents campaign to have green space protected

The site, in Wibsey, has been earmarked for housing ahead of a potential sale by the council

Residents in a West Yorkshire village have campaigned for a green field to be removed from a list of potential development sites.

More than 90 people in Wibsey have signed a petition urging Bradford Council to take a grassed area off its local plan, which indicates where future housebuilding may take place.

The site in question is next to St Winefride's primary school in the village and is being sold off by the council as part of its efforts to avoid effective bankruptcy.

The authority said it understood the "depth of feeling" over the space.

The issue was raised by residents at a meeting of Bradford Council's executive.

Campaigners claimed the land was not suitable for housing and any sale could lead to the loss of important green space.

Adele Boocock told the meeting that the site was "landlocked" and the proposed access route was unable to handle any increase in traffic.

She added: "The land is used by local people for recreation, dog walking, exercise and for children playing. There is lots of wildlife including foxes, birds and bats."

Petitioners were told no decision on the asset sale list had yet been made, but that their concerns would be passed on to council officers dealing with the site.

Councillor Alex Ross Shaw, executive member for regeneration and planning, said: "I understand the strong depth of feeling residents have for this site. The local councillors have been very proactive in flagging this site up as one that would cause concerns with its inclusion on the list."

He added: "The potential issues about this site are really matters for the purchasers. We’re engaging with agents to value the sites. We need to raise around £60m to meet our budget."

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