A ten-year dream of a sports and recreation development in the heart of Bradford Moor and Barkerend is expected to become a reality soon for families in one of the district's most deprived areas.

Consultation about a £1 million scheme at the Myra Shay recreation ground is reaching its final stages and a planning application will be submitted next month to Bradford Council.

The scheme will include five football pitches, a cricket pitch, footpaths, seats and a recreation area. A play area is planned on the Killinghall Road side of the recreation ground and an area will be set aside for events including Myra Shay gala.

Regen 2000, which is carrying out a massive regeneration scheme in the area helped by funding from the Government's Single Regeneration Budget, is contributing £500,000 to the scheme. When permission has been obtained, applications will be made to complete the funding.

When the scheme is completed, there will be links with schools to make it a facility which could be used for curriculum activities and sports days. The project organisers also hope to go into a partnership with Byron School to use its changing rooms and car park.

Regen 2000 community director Shazia Parveen, said: "Regen 2000 has contributed about £500,000 to ensure that the land at Myra Shay is kept as a leisure and sports facility and not used for commercial purposes.

"The main aim is to ensure that as many people as possible can benefit from the area."

Regen 2000 chairman and community director, Mohammed Shaukat, said: "Regeneration is an ongoing process of transformation undertaken to reverse decline and bring about real improvements in people's quality of life."

Councillor Jeanette Sunderland, chairman of the board's regeneration theme group, said: "This is a wonderful scheme and I am absolutely delighted that it is getting off the ground.

"Sport and recreation are an absolutely vital part of the process of bringing communities together. It is going to make a big different to the life of very many families and it is something people have been dreaming of for a very long time."

The ground, bordered by Bradford Moor Golf Club, Killinghall Road and Leeds Road, is expected to be completed in 2006.

Regen 2000 was awarded £28.5 million SRB funding but aims to have millions more invested in the area up to 2007 through additional finance from private and public sources.