A campaign group will quiz hundreds of motorists and pedestrians over developers’ proposals to build more than 400 homes on countryside near Bingley.

A team of volunteers will spend a week speaking to people using the swing bridge at Micklethwaite, earmarked as one of the main entrances to the 475-home development.

Greenhill Action Group (GAG) will use the results in its fight against the plans put forward by house-builders Bellway and Redrow for the site off Sty Lane, near the Leeds-Liverpool Canal.

GAG chairman Terry Brown said: “We will be looking to question people about the amenities, such as the land running alongside the canal.

“We are going to ask people what they feel about the development, so we can produce a comprehensive survey and find out what impact this will have.”

It is the second survey carried out by GAG, following a previous traffic survey in November. That concentrated on traffic using Micklethwaite swing bridge and found there were 100 vehicles per hour using it during rush hour, Mr Brown said.

The protesters declared a call to arms after Bellway and Redrow handed 16,000 pages of documentation to Bradford Council’s planning officers ahead of a Council meeting to decide on whether to grant planning permission. In the past few days, a Facebook campaign group – Save Greenhill – has started and has already attracted nearly 100 members.

Mr Brown said initial concerns centred on the bridge. Should the plans be given the green light, it is expected to be shut for six months, causing “horrendous” traffic problems, said Mr Brown.

He said the developers had not put forward “adequate proposals” for the bridge, which will be one of three entrances to the development. There would be access from Sty Lane and Micklethwaite Lane and an entrance for emergency vehicles from Fairfax Road.

Mr Brown said: “There are going to be problems with the amount of traffic over the bridge if this happens.”

GAG is looking for about 16 part-time volunteers to spend two hours on the survey, which will take place between March 20 and 26. For further information, visit greenhill-action-group.co.uk. Alternatively, contact Mr Brown on (01274) 565396.

Bellway and Redrow have declined to comment on the opposition to the proposals.