Residents fight for their green space

1:55pm Wednesday 16th July 2008

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A David and Goliath battle is being fought as a parish council takes on authority bosses who want to build on open land villagers have been enjoying for 70 years.

Residents of Sandy Lane, near Wilsden, have been left reeling after Bradford Council submitted an outline planning application which would allow one house to be built on the site which it wants to safeguard with “village green status”.

The green space in dispute is known locally as “the island” and lies at the junction of Florida Road and Syringa Avenue.

Although the land is owned by Bradford Council, deeds show the former landowner wanted the area to be used for sports, play and rest or as an ornamental garden and it was trusted to the safe keeping of the then Bradford Corpora-tion.

Residents, including youngsters and elderly people, have been enjoying the space since around 1936. Now the parish council says it will not give up the site without a fight and is urging residents to send in objection letters to the Council.

Parish council chairman Derek Carver said: “We fully understand Bradford Council hasn’t got as much capital as it would like and they are trying to get some cash in. However, it has to be weighed up what it is worth to residents and what it is worth to the Council.

“We are encouraging residents to make sure their views are heard and we’re asking them to write in letters of objection. It is part of the parish council’s five-year plan to increase recreational ground and this goes against our policy.

“We have also received a fantastic response from ward councillors who are supporting us.”

Resident Ian Baker said: “The village has been besieged with new housing developments over recent years and this new application may be just one too far. This land has been used as a safe play area for local children under the watchful eye of parents and residents, especially the younger ones for whom the local park is too far away.”

Mike Bell, Bradford Council’s assistant director of asset management, said: “We are still going through a consultation process on the future of this piece of land. We have written to ward councillors who have raised various objections to our planning application for a single house on the site.

“The next stage would be to seek the views of executive members as to whether or not to proceed with this application. As part of our property strategy we are required to sell surplus pieces of Council-owned land and we need to consider the most viable use for them.”