Home owners fear spring water could gush onto their land if Bradford planners give the go-ahead for 71 new houses off Wheathead Lane in Keighley.

They also warn the resulting increase in traffic would make the junction of Wheathead Lane and Oakworth Road even more hazardous than it is now.

A petition signed by 145 residents plus letters of objection from 62 households have been sent to Bradford Council calling for the proposed development on more than three acres of farmland to be blocked.

Barbara Atherton, who has lived in Wheathead Lane for 22 years and is a member of the Wheathead Action group, said: "My major fears are that spring water will come up on my property and there will be a lot more traffic along this road and at the junction with Oakworth Road."

She and Bill Wilson, a fellow member of the action group, counted 150 cars between 8.30 and 9am one morning in a survey at the Wheathead Lane/ Oakworth Road junction.

Mrs Atheron said: "There are going to be at least one hundred more cars generated by this development.''

Neighbour Brian Frobisher said there was often a queue at the junction.

"Turning right into Wheathead Lane will also be a hazard because it is on a bend and cars travel quite quickly down Oakworth Road and often cross the white line in the middle of the road,'' he said.

Councillors at the town and country planning sub-committee on Thursday in Keighley will be told that the Council has no details of springs on the site, but that there had been drainage problems in the area and a watercourse in the field would be diverted.

The proposed scheme would be for detached homes including some social housing run by an assoication.

A spokesman said: "The Council's highways development control officer concludes that the added traffic generated by the scheme would not result in conditions prejudicial to highway safety at, or close to, the site, or at the junction of Wheathead Lane and Oakworth Road."

The developer, Fairclough Homes of Sale, Cheshire, has agreed to set aside £50,000 for a children's play area and for its long term management.

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