Bosses at a football club have resubmitted a plan for more than 50 homes in a bid to stave off financial ruin and create a new community facility.

Eccleshill United want to gain outline planning permission for 56 houses on a redundant part of a training pitch at Kingsway, Wrose, before selling the land to developers.

The money recouped from the sale, which the club hopes will be up to £1.5 million, would help keep the club afloat as it battles against money worries.

Funds from the sale of the land would be used to refurbish the clubhouse and create a “community-wide” facility to cater for local sporting groups including a karate club and a table tennis team and community organisations such as the Scouts.

Other groups and organisations have also registered an interest in using a new facility should permission be granted.

A report to Bradford Council from the club says it owes £300,000 which would be paid off if the land was sold with planning permission while at least £350,000 would go to the refurbishment of the clubhouse and other facilities.

The Council turned down a similar bid in the summer after objections from residents living near the club on the grounds of a significant loss of a playing field, while there was also confusion about the location of an additional playing pitch and car park at the Low Ash playing field.

Now, club bosses hope changes to the plan at Low Ash will make it acceptable to residents and the Council.

Councillor Vanda Greenwood (Lab, Windhill & Wrose) backs the club’s plan and says there is a 500-strong petition in support. “It’s a fantastic scheme,” she said. “The club is in serious financial trouble, not down to this committee, and everybody has worked so hard for this. It would be catastrophic if we lost the club.”

The project also has the backing of Bradford South MP Gerry Sutcliffe, the former Minister for Sport.

He said in a letter: “The sale of this plot of land for development will enable the club to thrive and to develop their existing sporting and community facilities.

“This historic amateur club has played a vital community role for many years, both for the sporting provision it offers local people and for the resource they offer to the wider community.

“I hope that the Council will look favourably on a scheme that will enable the club to move forward.”

The application is expected to go before councillors in the New Year.