A luxury housing development that residents say will destroy wildlife could get the go ahead, despite massive opposition.

Angry families have collected 286 signatures on three petitions objecting to the development, next to Croftlands and Green Lane, Idle, Bradford.

They are being backed by Bradford North MP Terry Rooney and 39 individual letters of objection, to the 52 detached homes scheme, have been sent to the planning department.

But officers will recommend Bradford Council's planning committee to approve the decision, subject to a list of conditions.

They will report to the Town and Country Planning Committee on Thursday that Leeds-based Arncliffe Homes has offered to give £26,000 towards schools, for the extra pupils on the development.

The residents have protested on grounds which include the possibility of increased traffic, loss of green space and destruction of plants and wildlife.

The officers admit there will be extra traffic, but they do not believe it will cause a danger. They say there is plenty of green space in the area and the site has low ecological value.

But chairman of Idle Moor Residents Group Marjorie Darton said: "The development will create a strain on services and schools.

"Croftlands is a cul-de-sac which will become a through road and have a blind corner. The officers are wrong."

She said the residents would attend the committee meeting to strongly oppose the application.

The committee is expected to refuse plans for 73 homes on land at Oak Mills, Station Road, Clayton, Bradford.

A report to the committee says the site, currently a mill complex occupied by the British Wool Marketing Board, is surrounded by commercial and retail properties.

The report says the housing application should be dismissed because of the impact it would have on jobs and the extra pressure it would place on schools.

The proposal also fails to provide a proportion of "affordable" housing or any provision for play space.

The report says an earlier application for 60 homes on the site was refused in October, 1997.

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