Residents of a 92-bedroom apartment complex say a planned car park in Saltaire will cause traffic chaos around their homes and Roberts Park.
Earlier this week, Hartley Property Trust, which owns an area of land behind the Boathouse Inn between the River Aire and the Leeds-Liverpool Canal, applied for permission to create a 52 space pay-and-display car park within Saltaire World Heritage Site.
Days later Les Brook, of Riverside Court Management, a group that represents residents of the converted mill building, revealed it would be opposing the application, and is confident Bradford Council will throw it out.
Also joining these objectors is Dave Shaw, of Saltaire History Society, a local historian who thinks it would be an inappropriate development so close to the park.
The Trust plans to clean up the area and says the car park would help  businesses, increase tourism and allow commuters to park near to Saltaire Train Station.
But Mr Brook questioned how the narrow access road to the car park could handle these 52 cars, along with traffic entering Riverside Court and the neighbouring NHS Trust offices, and pedestrians coming into and out of Roberts Park.
He said: “That road is the sole access for vehicles for people living in the 92 apartments, and sole access for the very large NHS offices. If it is a car park nobody will know whether it is full or not, so there will be cars going in and out.
“It will increase the number of cars using what is really a place we should be keeping cars out of.
“The playground at Roberts Park has become a magnet for people from Bradford, it is wonderful. A lot of people walk there over what is a very narrow pavement. If there is someone with a pram people will have to walk on this road. Imagine a person in a wheelchair trying to get into the park with all those cars.
“You can’t argue against more car parking spaces, but it’s where it is.”
Mr Shaw said: “The car park will encourage new traffic to penetrate the very heart of the World Heritage Site.
“Victoria Road is heavily congested, and the most congested part of that road is its northern end – where pedestrians, school children, local businesses, residents and visitors all seek to navigate the very narrow slip road down to the canal. It beggars belief that anyone would encourage an increase in road traffic in that area.”
Bradford Council will make a decision on the car park early next year.
e-mail: chris.young
@telegraphandargus.co.uk