A CONTROVERSIAL housebuilding scheme could endanger young children walking to a nearby school, a councillor has warned.

Revised plans by Bradford Council, to build 12 homes on pastureland it owns in Idle, look set to be approved next week.

But the site, between Doctor Hill and Highfield Road, lies across the road from Blakehill Primary School, and opponents say the scheme's design could put children walking to school at risk.

Councillor Dominic Fear (Lib Dem, Idle and Thackley) said all three ward councillors opposed the plan.

He said under the plans, cars coming out of the new development onto Doctor Hill would cross a footpath well-used by schoolchildren.

Cllr Fear added that the junction of Doctor Hill and Highfield Road was a "blind bend" where a wall had more than once been knocked down by vehicles, and he feared extra traffic would make it even more hazardous.

He said: "It is a bend that has got a significant accident history. There was a young boy knocked down there just over a year ago. He was okay in the end, but there have been cars hitting walls and cars hitting kids on that bend."

Cllr Fear said the Bradford East area committee had recently decided to put down double yellow lines along Doctor Hill because of traffic concerns.

He said: "Basically, one half of the council is saying, 'This is a problem', and the other half is saying, 'No, let's build houses on it'.

"The fact it is recommended for approval is really worrying, because there are a lot of problems with that site.

"It is housing land, no-one challenges that, but what everyone is saying is this is not an acceptable plan for this site."

An earlier scheme, for 14 homes on the same site, was refused by a planning committee last year because it was deemed to be overdevelopment.

But the revised outline plan is now recommended for approval at a meeting of the Council's Regulatory and Appeals Committee on Tuesday.

A report written by planning officers says the scheme has been checked by the Council's highways experts.

It acknowledges the access to the site would cross a footpath, but says cars would be entering and leaving in a forward gear.

It says: "It is not considered there will be a conflict between road and path users and as such no adverse effects on highways safety are foreseen."