Millions of pounds worth of business investment and Lottery funding is being sought to finance an ambitious project to transform a Bradford estate in time for the Millennium.

The scheme, Buttershaw Millennium Green, would include new housing and shops, a community centre, health centre, wildlife areas and open spaces.

The grandiose plans have been drawn up by Royds Community Association - which is spearheading a £108 million regeneration in the area.

It is hoped funding will come from big-money developers and the Millennium Greens Commission, which has £10 million to help create at least 250 Millennium greens in England by 2000.

But traders on the site today poured scorn on the project, saying it was just another pie in the sky idea which would never become reality.

Pradip Patel, who runs Buttershaw Food Stores, has already issued court proceedings against Bradford Council for loss of trade as a result of the regeneration. He said: "I'm not against the plans, but it's never going to happen."

And the owner of Reevy Road West Post Office, who did not want to be named, dismissed the project as just another addition to the list of grandiose schemes for Buttershaw which have been drawn and never acted upon.

Royds project development officer Raj Panesar said although the scheme was still in its infancy, it was an opportunity to "put the heart back into Buttershaw". He said: "We will be consulting with local businesses and residents over the design. We will be putting a bid together for a Millennium Commission grant.

"It's too early to say if the plans will go ahead or not, but I can assure people that we are working round the clock to try and get this package together."

The proposals would involve a large chunk of land stretching from Reevy Road West up to Beacon Avenue. The area has already seen the seven blocks of flats bulldozed under the Royds regeneration and the scheme would include demolition and rebuilding of run-down shops on Reevy Road West.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.