Community leaders have warned that schools in the Aire Valley are already “bursting at the seams” and could not cope with more children if a proposed 400-home development is approved.

Governors at Bingley Grammar, Beckfoot Secondary and St Joseph’s RC Primary say Bingley could not accommodate a potential 600 extra pupils from the proposed housing estate in Sty Lane, Micklethwaite.

They say children would be forced to travel outside the town for their education if the application is approved.

Chris Quinn, chairman of governors at Bingley Grammar School, said the school was suitable for 1,543 children but currently had 1,900 on the roll. He said the pupils were “crammed in like sardines in a tin” and some were taught in 16 temporary classrooms, which cost £186,000 per year to rent.

“The Sty Lane development can’t put any more pressure on the school because there just physically isn’t the space for more children,” he said. “There will be a lot of competition for the places and a lot of disappointed parents and pupils.”

John Shaw, chairman of governors at St Joseph’s, said it was an understatement to say the town’s schools were full.

He said: “Last year there wasn’t a single free primary school place left in Bingley. Many of the schools were subject to appeals and ended up taking children over and above their capacity.

“If they build 400 houses on Sty Lane and there are 1.5 children per house that is still 600 places that need to be found. That is at least one new primary school. The children could be bussed to Keighley or Shipley but we are talking about young children and their parents won’t like them going long distances from home.”

Beckfoot Secondary School has been recently rebuilt under Bradford Council’s Building School’s for the Future programme.

John Winkley, chairman of governors at Beckfoot, said the new building was designed for the number of students already on the roll. He said: “On all counts we are full. It is not obvious to me how that many extra children can be accommodated in Bingley.”

A spokesman for Bradford Council’s planning department said all the issues surrounding the proposed development would be detailed in a report.

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