AN EMERGENCY public meeting to view and discuss plans for a 72 home development on the site of a demolished Baildon school will take place tomorrow.

Campaigners and ward councillors have teamed up to organise the special Neighbourhood Forum meeting which will be held at Baildon Community Link in Cliffe Avenue starting at 6pm and scheduled to last for at least an hour.

And Bradford Council, which is behind the application to build on the Ferniehurst First School site, has confirmed that all the plans and details will be on display.

The local authority has submitted an application for the first two stages of a four-phase development on land once occupied by Ferniehurst First School beside Cliffe Lane West and Valley View.

The designated brownfield site has become grassed over time and is now a natural haven for a range of wildlife.

But the mix of family homes would include 20 social housing properties aimed at helping people stay in the area where house prices are some of the highest in Bradford.

The other 52 family homes would be for sale.

The overall development scheme includes a further two possible phases, which though not part of the current application, would build an additional 53 properties on another part of the site.

Residents on surrounding streets fear more traffic on already overburdened roads and further pressure on local schools, health services and general amenities, said Amy Simister, secretary of the newly-formed Baildon Action Committee, who urged people from across Baildon to attend the meeting.

"I feel a lot of people think this won't affect them, but it will," said Mrs Simister, a quantity surveyor.

"It will affect the whole of Baildon, which is already struggling with traffic, but also things such as schools, GPs and even social clubs for children.

"For example most of the cub and scout groups are full already.

"What we need is better infrastructure to cater for the existing number of people."

She said that the more difficult it became to live in Baildon, the less desirable the town would be and therefore house prices could suffer.

"We are urging everyone to come along to the Community Link and see for themselves on Wednesday evening," she said.

Councillor Debbie Davies (Con, Baildon) helped organise tomorrow's forum.

She said: "I'm delighted that we can make people more aware and able to draw their own conclusions."

A Bradford Council spokesman said: "This special neighbourhood forum meeting has been organised in addition to the usual consultation process for the current planning application.

"If people have comments about the scheme, they can submit them in writing. All comments are taken into consideration when the plans are considered by the Regulatory and Appeals Committee.

"Full details of the proposals will be made available for the public to view at the meeting."