Bradford Council has pledged to restore a controversial waste tip in Cullingworth.

Senior environmental health officers say they want to cap and grass over the Manywells landfill site.

But they say the work cannot start and council funds cannot be committed until the High Court decides who should receive the £375,000 set aside for the restoration of the tip.

Since operators Wastepoint Ltd filed for voluntary liquidation in January there has been confusion over who is responsible for the maintenance and monitoring of the site.

Bingley Rural Conservative councillor Juliette Kinsey said that one possible solution was a joint restoration project by the council and the Environment Agency.

Councillor Kinsey said: "What the council has said is that as an immediate measure for Cullingworth residents the tip will be grassed over - now it's a question of paying for it.

"Until the High Court has decided about the money we won't get a decision as to whether the Environment Agency will put up any money.

"The Environment Agency cannot and should not absolve itself of responsibility.

"I intend to make an absolute nuisance with everyone concerned, and I want to speak to the full council about this."

Councillor Kinsey believes the High Court hearing will take place in May or June.

She added that the council's legal department was still attempting to have Manywells classified as a contaminated "special site". That would mean the government taking control of the land and responsibility for restoring it.

Parish councillor Dianne Marshall said the council should pay for an independent engineering survey of the site as well as the capping and restoration of the site.

She said: "What it boils down to is that Bradford council gave this tip the go-ahead in spite of all the opposition."

Parish councillors in Cullingworth fear that little, if any, of the £375,000 that was held jointly in trust by Wastepoint and the Environment Agency will be used on the tip's restoration.

They are also calling on the Environment Agency to shoulder more of the responsibility for the tip.

Acting parish chairman Councillor Bryan Hobson said: "It's sad that Bradford council is picking up all the tab for this and the Environment Agency is just standing back and letting us do it."

Parish council members are angry that environment secretary Michael Meacher has not replied to a letter they sent in February.

The Environment Agency said: "Because there is no licence in force, we have no regulatory powers to do anything. We are awaiting the outcome of our bid to the High Court for the money.

"We have been doing some work that would have been done normally as part of the license held by Wastepoint. This involves keeping an eye on the site and taking measures we think are appropriate.

"We are liaising with Bradford council as to how things are progressing."