Sports Minister Gerry Sutcliffe has sparked controversy by describing a key component of the Odsal Sports Village plan as "complete folly".

In a letter to a constituent, the Bradford South MP launched a scathing attack on plans to sell off Horsfall Playing Fields for housing to fund the Odsal redevelopment, saying the proposed sale was unrealistic.

He said the National Playing Fields Association would not sanction it and there would still be a £12 million funding shortfall, adding that the plans for Odsal appeared to change every few weeks.

But the Labour MP's views have drawn strong criticism from Peter Hood, chairman of the Bradford Bulls, and Councillor Andrew Mallinson, regeneration chief for the Tory-led Council.

They say a home-grown MP with Mr Sutcliffe's high profile as Sports Minister should be supporting a plan that could bring social and sporting benefits to the district.

In the letter, Mr Sutcliffe said: "I am concerned Bradford Council appears to be bereft of ideas about how to make any progress.

"Their insistence that the redevelopment of Odsal be dependent upon the sale of Horsfall Playing Fields for housing is complete folly.

"The National Playing Fields Association have made it clear they will not sanction the sale as the plans for Odsal do not provide the necessary level and scope of sporting facility."

Mr Hood, who represents the Bulls on the working group set up to spearhead the scheme, said: "Gerry Sutcliffe has expressed some views in this correspondence that I find somewhat puzzling. I would expect the MP to be 110 per cent supportive of the Odsal scheme."

He said he understood the Playing Fields Association did not have the final say on the sale of Horsfall and added the plan was not dependent on any individual sale of a Council asset.

Mr Hood said: "Gerry Sutcliffe also speaks about a £12m shortfall - as if such a shortfall actually exists.

"More capital receipts have been identified that eliminate the shortfall.

"New money has been sourced from, for example, Bradford College, Yorkshire Forward and other grants, worth a few million, identified by Jane Glaister at the Council.

"The capital funding is sorted out, but how we are going to fund the initial building work will be discussed over the next few weeks.

"We would look to involve a commercial developer that would take a commercial risk alongside the Bradford Bulls.

"I understand that Gerry Sutcliffe has also implied that the plans for Odsal appear to change every few weeks. This has been a process, not of change every week, but gradual refinement as things are integrated."

Councillor Mallinson said: "It's disappointing that the Sports Minister has taken such a negative stance because this scheme, with its sports content, lifts the district to another level.

"Anyone can stand back and criticise, but where is the commitment from the Sports Minister and the Government to support this complex?"

Don Earley, deputy chief executive of Fields in Trust, the operating name for the National Playing Fields Association, said: "They are talking about selling community playing fields of 20 acres to fund the Odsal scheme and that is too much of a loss.

"We made grant aid available 70 years ago that helped to bring Horsfall Playing Fields into use as community playing fields and the Council undertook at that time, as minuted by the old corporation, that that site should remain fields effective in perpetuity.

"We have a contract with them whereby our consent is needed for them to sell the Horsfall. Their proposals don't meet with our approval at the moment."

Mr Sutcliffe responded to the criticism today by saying: "The point is they can't sell off the Horsfall site because they are not offering an adequate or better replacement.

"They have got to be more realistic about what the outcome is going to be. I want to see Odsal redeveloped and have wanted it done for the last 30 years. As it stands at the moment, I can't see it coming to fruition."

  • Start or join a debate on this issue in our online forum - Click here