COUNCIL bosses have agreed to keep most of a Silsden green space as a playing field – although part of the site will be sold to build “five or six” homes.

But there are still concerns over plans for housing on the site - with one local Councillor saying Silsden was becoming “something resembling a small city.”

The former school playing field off Elliott Street was due to be sold to developers to fund the recently opened Silsden Primary School.

The plan, agreed in 2016, had led to a huge number of objections – with over 1,600 people signing a petition calling for the field to remain a public leisure site.

Bradford Council had until recently remained adamant that the site needed to be sold to a developer to fund the school shake up in Silsden – which has seen two existing schools closed and replaced with the new primary.

But last month the authority revealed a change of heart.

A report going to the Council’s Executive last week said a study of leisure space found Silsden was lacking in public green space.

It also revealed that since the two former school buildings have been put on the market, offers have been higher than expected – meaning the sale of the entire field site was not needed to fund the new school.

The Executive voted to keep much of the field – and only sell a section for housing.

The field is behind the Hive – an important community facility for the town.

Councillor Caroline Whitaker (Green, Craven) said the Council should still listen to petitioners and keep the entire field site as a public space.

The amount of housing planned for the town meant protected green space was more important than ever.

Jill Cook from The Hive said: “We’re working with the Council to bring more recreation activities to the Hive, and this will have a major benefit for the community.”

Keeping the playing field would be a huge benefit to the Hive and Silsden, she added.

Councillor Peter Clarke (Cons, Craven) said he was “baffled” by the Council’s claims that selling part of the site would provide “much needed” housing for Silsden.

He said: “Overdevelopment is turning this once lovely town into something resembling a small city.”

He also called for any building on the field to be scrapped, saying the report was not clear on how much of the field would be sold for housing.

Alistair Russell, Investment Acquisitions and Disposals manager at the Council, said the entire site could accommodate 25 houses. The Council was planning to sell space for around five homes.

Councillor Alex Ross Shaw, Executive for Regeneration, Planning and Transport, said: “There is a difference between local Councillors wanting housing and what the demand actually is.”

Referring to Cllr Clarke’s comment he added: “Despite Cllr Clarke’s description of Silsden as a ‘once lovely’ town I’d say it is still lovely.”