Plans for a community hospital and medical centre in Manningham have been given the go-ahead.

The complex will include an 18-bed rehabilitation hospital, GPs' surgeries and outreach clinics.

It will be built on Westbourne Road, Bradford, on the open space off Heaton Road and Oak Lane currently used for recreation.

The site was selected because the centre is intended to serve Manningham people. It is close to St Catherine's Hospital which will provide support arrangements.

The application was submitted by Bradford City Primary Care Trust supported by Bradford District Care Trust.

Project manager David Smith, property development manager for the care trust, said at the Bradford Area Planning meeting that a number of other sites had been looked at as possibilities but had proved unsuitable.

The St Catherine's Hospital site was too small, Manningham Mills was not viable because of costs and the trust had been outbid when out tried to buy the former BMW Garage at Lister Park. But it was also not suitable because of size and parking, Mr Smith said.

Councillor Stanley King (Con, Heaton) objected to the application on the grounds that the land is valuable for recreation purposes. He told the planning panel that the former BMW site was closer to St Catherine's so would have been more appropriate.

He said the proposed development site was an open, green space. "It is especially important for this area because it is densely populated," he added.

Councillor Andrew Pitts (Lab, Heaton), who could not attend the meeting for work reasons, also put his objections to the panel through a letter which was read out by area planning panel chairman Councillor Clive Richardson.

Coun Pitts said while he welcomed the facilities outlined there was a need to preserve the quality of life of the nearby community.

The chairman said that recreation land was still included in the application so the open space would not be entirely lost.