Objectors to a proposed 475-home development on green fields in Bingley are stepping up their campaign with a public meeting tonight.

The forum has been organised by the Greenhill Action Group (Gag), which has campaigned for several years to protect the land, off Sty Lane, Micklethwaite, from developers.

Residents of the Oakwood estate, and in particular Oakwood Drive, are being encouraged to attend as the group believes their road is in danger of becoming an access road to the site and could be used for construction traffic.

In a letter from the Council’s assistant director of planning to developers Redrow Homes (Yorkshire) and Bellway Homes Ltd, it is stated: “Council engineers consider that, despite level differences, a suitable vehicular and pedestrian access via Oakwood Drive to the site could be achieved for those times when the swing bridge may be out of operation.”

GAG chairman Terry Brown said: “The main focus of the meeting is to help residents of Oakwood estate to understand how they will be affected.

“The concern is Oakwood is going to become a main access route into the Greenhill site.

“It will be a huge increase in traffic, there are already accidents in Oakwood Drive. It has a T-junction at Lady Lane and the visibility at that junction is not good.”

More than 5,000 people have signed petitions against the development, for which an outline planning application has been submitted, but Mr Brown said residents needed to continue to support the group. He said: “I think people need to understand how this is going to affect them and support the action group.

“The biggest problem is all the roads in the area are severely cramped and all the roads surrounding this site are inadequate for the development. At the end of the day this is one of the last pieces of green field around Bingley for people to enjoy.”

The developers were unavailable for comment yesterday.

The meeting will be at St Aidan’s church hall, Canal Road, Crossflatts, at 7.30pm.