A developer responsible for building 124 homes has acknowledged “challenges” with the site following concerns over drainage from residents.

Persimmon Homes West Yorkshire said it was aware of the issues at its Branshaw Park development on fields off Keighley’s Occupation Lane and was focused on tackling them.

Marilyn Parker, a Camborne Way resident who has previously complained about aspects of the construction, said water running off the land where the homes are being built was flooding onto Oakworth Road.

And her fears have been echoed by Keighley town councillor Martin Walker, who represents Bogthorn and Exley Head ward.

Mrs Parker said: “The water from the site is causing major problems down Oakworth Road. Every time it rains or the snow melts the water is like a river down past the Beckfoot Oakbank School crossing.

“The children have to get over that all the time. The water lifts the manhole covers too, and the road and footpath are a disgrace down there.

“There is also water pouring out of the large wall at the bottom of the site. If someone doesn’t do something soon that wall will fall down.”

She added that progress on the development was extremely slow, saying it illustrated some of the problems with building on this land.

“I don’t think that the developers will make much money on the site,” she said.

“The marketing suite has been flooded, so they now have a portable cabin for that.

“They’ve been on site over a year now, with not much progress at all.

“Our public footpath [leading across fields from Occupation Lane to Bogthorn] has been closed for nearly a year now. It’s meant to open in April, so we’ll wait and see if that happens.

“But the bottom part of Occupation Lane that is a bridleway has become a rat run. Not to mention all the wagons that go too fast on Camborne Way.”

Cllr Walker said he was also concerned about water from the building site ending up on Oakworth Road.

“This is ground water, rather than sewage, and it happens whenever we have wet weather,” he said.

Wayne Gradwell, managing director at Persimmon Homes West Yorkshire, said: “We’re aware of the issues regarding drainage at our Branshaw Park development.

“This is a technically challenging site that has been exacerbated by the recent weather conditions.

“We are working hard on site to overcome these challenges, and we thank the local residents for their continued patience while this work is being carried out.

“The site has generated a lot of interest in the area due to the high demand for housing, and we look forward to delivering much-needed homes.”