Bradford Council is under fire over its plans to requisition part of a community sports facility for a new special school.

Local councillor Ghazanfer Khaliq fears the recreational land at Myra Shay playing fields in Bradford Moor will be eroded bit by bit if proposals are approved.

It would mean a football pitch being fenced off, as Delius special school is built next to two existing schools.

The scheme is part of the Building Schools for the Future programme, which includes six new special schools being built, including Delius at the site of Lapage and Bradford Moor primary schools off Leeds Road.

Coun Khaliq said: "Myra Shay is just about the only piece of open recreational land left in the area and has had millions of pounds spent on it. Yet little by little it is being chipped away at by the Council.

"I previously questioned whether the site for Delius School was appropriate, given that there are four schools and a Sure Start Centre close by. With changing rooms already having been built, the remaining open space would be under threat.

"I asked time and again whether there were plans to use the land for educational purposes and was told "no". Now I find that a decision has been taken behind closed doors to do exactly that.

"I am not against the school having a football pitch, provided there is access for the wider community, but I am incensed that decisions affecting key community facilities are being taken in secret with no involvement of local councillors or the community they represent, both of whom have been treated with contempt."

He called for the Council to make a clear statement that no further development will take place at Myra Shay and that all the remaining land will be kept solely for recreational purposes.

The Council said in response that the proposal would see a portion of the sports complex being used by the new school, but that it would still be controlled by Myra Shay and would be open to the community.

A Council spokesman said: "The proposals for the new special school have been developed following an extensive consultation process regarding the plans to close ten existing special schools and open six new ones as part of phase two of the Building Schools for the Future programme. This was agreed by the Executive and School Organisation Committee back in 2005.

"There is a proposal to allow a portion of the Myra Shay complex to be used by the school planned for the site and it will also be available for use by the community too, and will be retained by the Parks and Landscapes Service with the Myra Shay Management Committee retaining overall administrative control.

"Two Neighbourhood Forums in the last two months have discussed this issue and a formal consultation process with the local community, the school, Sport England and partners who have contributed funds to developing Myra Shay will take place in January."

The £2.5 million Myra Shay development is a flagship Regen 2000 scheme and was opened in October 2006 with three full-size football pitches, a cricket square and a junior football pitch, and a children's play area.