Visitors to a popular country park claim that the character of an old farm building is being lost by its conversion into a riding centre for the disabled.

Bradford Independent Health Care Group, based at St Ives Estate near Bingley, is investing £500,000 in changing redundant buildings at Home Farm into a riding centre.

It also has planning permission to create a tea room for visitors which will be run by Bradford Council.

But a former tenant of the farm is worried the roofing materials are not in keeping with the traditional-style stone and the nearby listed buildings.

Frank Greenwood, 67, of Wilsden, lived in the farmhouse when he worked on the estate about 40 years ago.

He said: "The slate they have put up is not in keeping at all - it looks terrible to me. If I lived in a house like that and I had that roof stolen, I wouldn't have been allowed to put slate on. I would have to put stone back on. We are not short of Yorkshire stone.

"I have no objection to them turning it into a riding centre, just to the roof they are putting on."

He said a planning application had been put in years ago for permission to change the size of the windows to let in more light, but it had been turned down.

Peter Tidswell, of Harden, said: "I think it spoils the character of it but it seems there is nothing I can do. This stone would look all right in the Lake District but here we should have Yorkshire stone. It is a different style and not in character with the other buildings of the house.''

The first phase of the riding school is expected to be open by June and the second 12 months later.

A Bradford Council planning spokesman said: "We would ideally like to see natural stone slates on these old farm buildings at St Ives estate but sadly most of the original stone slates have disappeared over time.

"Due to the cost and limited supply of second-hand stone slates we accept that it is right that alternatives have to be used from time to time.

"As these buildings are not on the listed building register we recognised that if we insisted on stone slates it would be very difficult to find a supply and could prolong their disrepair.''