RENTS fear their children will have nowhere to play if a housing developer gets its way.

Families on Crofter's Lea in Yeadon are already bracing themselves for a 29-house development to be built on spare land at the end of their street.

Around 60 residents originally opposed the plans to build on the land, but the battle was lost. They were relieved, however, that one of the conditions of the planning consent was that some green space had to be left.

However, they have been horrified to

discover the developer has now applied to revise the plan allowing them to use all the land for the development, and instead contribute cash to the council for recreational facilities elsewhere in the area.

Parents do not want to see their children lose what they believe may be their only safe area to play.

Resident Peter Cartwright says his two

children would lose the chance to play out on their bikes during the summer near the safety of their own home.

He said: "Our children won't have anywhere to play apart from the road. It's bad enough having the houses but now they want to take away the open space as well. We can't do anything about the housing, but we want to make sure there is a place for our children to play."

He said the children in the area would have to go a lsong way from home and cross several busy roads to reach the nearest parkland.

"The road is not place for children to be. We want to be able to see where they are," said Mr Cartwright.

Although a sum from the developer given in lieu of recreational facilities may be spent on improving facilities in Yeadon, people around Crofters Lea feel this would not be of great benefit to their children.

And Mr Cartwright even said the council would not have to worry about the

maintenance of the green area.

"I regularly used to cut the grass myself," he said.

He added the problem over the lack of open space will get worse once the houses are built and more families with children move in.

Leeds City Council, nor the developers, were able to comment.

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