A group of Bradford residents are fighting a proposed development which they fear will ruin their community and cause traffic chaos.

Springfield Developments has applied for outline planning permission to build new homes on an allotment site off Spring Street, Sandy Lane.

But residents are so incensed by the plans that more than 180 people have signed a petition objecting to the proposals.

Colin Neville, who is leading the protest, said: "Enough is enough. The school is already oversubscribed and congestion on Cottingley Road, which will be the main feeder road to the site, is also very worrying."

Victoria Young, 24, said: "The children can't play out, it's so dangerous. At least now cars have to slow down, but if there's an access road there might well be more traffic."

Philip Coote, planning consultant for Springfield Developments, said it would not add to existing traffic problems.

"There's already a commercial nursery on it and two garages on the site," he said.

"We will be able to widen the frontage to provide a better road through, to improve the situation considerably, and the road will possibly be made up as part of the scheme."

Mr Coote said he was not surprised that residents were protesting.

"Quite frankly this happens with every site that's developed so I don't hold much with what residents say. By the large it's self interest," he said.

Councillor Stanley King, (Con, Heaton), said it was important for Sandy Lane to maintain its green belt status.

"Otherwise it will just get lost in a sea of urban sprawl," he said.

"No one wants to see that or will benefit from it. It will be a boring place to live in and it will lose its character."

Coun Gary Seekins (Lab, Heaton), said he would expect Council planning officers to recommend that the application is rejected.

"The owners are testing a principle at the moment. It's a green field rather than a green belt site," he said.

"They are saying because there's some business use, however tenuous, then you can build houses on it."

Beverley Porter, 41, civil servant and Justice of the Peace, said nothing should be decided until it is clear what impact the Bingley relief road will have on traffic in the village.

"Every little street will be a rat run to get people into Bradford," she said.

"I don't think they can consider putting one brick on top of another until they know the consequences of the relief road."