Families have won their battle to keep a grassy site near their homes as a communal garden.

People living around St Paul's Avenue, Wibsey, signed a 124-name petition to the Council after it said it was considering selling the site for development.

But last night the corporate scrutiny committee was told assets management director Linda Carmichael had decided not to dispose of the land at present. They were told the planning department had advised it was a green field site and housing would not comply with policy under the replacement Unitary Development Plan.

The UDP is a yardstick for all planning applications which go to the Council.

Residents across the district have been involved in campaigns to save plots of land believed to be worth about £7 million but which cost the Council about £2 million a year to maintain.

The future of the land is under review as the Council examines the best way forward for its huge portfolio of land and assets and prepares to go into partnership with a private firm to manage them.

The authority hung on to the land at Wibsey when it transferred its 26,000 council houses to Bradford Community Housing Trust a year ago because officers believed it might have some development potential in future.

It is leased to a resident, and families had started to restore it for use as a communal garden and play area for residents of St Paul's Road, Alexander Street, Princes Street and Albert Street. In a letter to the committee they said they objected to its sale.

The campaigners said there was also great concern about access because of the unadopted, narrow streets in the areas.

The committee supported Miss Carmichael's recommendation not to proceed at present.

But ward councillor Dave Green (Lab, Odsal) called on the Council to review the way it dealt with the pieces of land which were under threat.

Coun Green said: "The whole process should be reviewed and there should be much more involvement of residents at an earlier stage."