It said a drain running under the green is close to collapse and could flood large parts of the town centre. An idependent report carried out last year by a Southampton-based company said that the culvert, which runs underground for approx 190 metres, could collapse at any time putting property and lives at risk. It said urgent repairs are needed claiming that at one point there is a two metre crack which may lie underneath the road across the green.

The roof sags in places and the floor is severly damaged. Large build-ups of silt have also occurred which made inspection of the last 40 metres of the culvert impossible.

But despite numerous requests from the parish council for Bradford council to take action, nothing has yet been done. Bradford council has contunually said it has no money to carry out the necessary work.

In May 1997 it was turned down by the Department of the Environment after they applied for £240,000 to carry out the work. The DoE said the water was not polluted. Bradford council then applied to the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Foods but they too turned down the request.

Householders were than asked to contribute to the cost which caused widespread anger.

Parish councillor Chris Atkinson says it's time action was taken. "We are three years down the line and still nothing has been done. This culvert could collapse at any time causing serious injury or even death."

A spokesman for Bradford council's property services division says: "Following extensive enquiries with the Department for the Environment, Transport and the Regions and the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the council has established there is no external funding available as the stream running through the culvert is not polluted.

"However, minor repair work to clear debris from the culvert has been carried out at both the council-owned section and the privately-owned end."

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