ANGRY residents are preparing to do battle with developers over plans to build houses on a popular community space.

At the end of last year residents of Wharfe Street, Otley, were furious when owners of the former Wharfe Street School cut down a well-loved apple tree in the former playground in the early hours of the morning.

It was revealed that a Tree Protection Order (TPO) was in the process of being formalised by Leeds City Council.

And now, a planning application has been submitted for the conversion of the Victorian school building plus the building of six more homes in the former playground.

Bill McIlwraith of the Wharfe Street Action Group, formed in 1997 to fight development plans for the school, said the group was calling on as many people as possible to object to the plans.

"What they are intending to do is build on the grass again. We don't have a problem with them converting the school, but this will change the whole environment of the area. We've put out a letter to people in the area and the response has been enormous, but we think there are a lot more people in the town who will want to object," he said.

On Monday, at the town council's Planning Committee, members unanimously voted to reject the application outright.

Although councillors said they would not be against the conversion of the former school, they were strongly opposed to the development of the playground.

Developers Bracken Developments wants to convert the school into four apartments and build a three storey terrace of four homes and two semi-detached homes in the grounds.

Committee chairman, Councillor Gerald McGowan said that the application failed to fulfil at least two points demanded by the town council - that the greenspace be preserved and that the site was not overdeveloped. There were also concerns that a right of way through the site to neighbouring allotments would not be preserved - even though Bracken has put up a sign accepting there is a right of way through the site.

Coun McGowan said: "The application goes no way into meeting our conditions."

Coun Ray Dunn added that cars already experienced difficulty getting along Wharfe Street. And Coun Phil Coyne said he believed that the council could fight the application on the grounds it constituted a loss of community space.

The council, which has already condemned the earlier demolition of the apple tree, has written to Leeds City Council's area planning panel urging it to consider the plan very carefully.

No one at Bracken Developments wanted to comment.

Bracken had apologised to residents after cutting down the apple tree last December.

l Anyone who would like to support the Wharfe Street Action Group can pick up a example objection letter from The Wharfedale Observer, 9 Orchard Gate, Otley.