Villagers fear country roads will not be able to cope with huge volumes of traffic if plans for a major development are given the green light.

Controversial proposals have been put forward to build homes, offices and a nursing home on the Manywells Industrial Estate in Cullingworth.

But residents say the transport infrastructure is already “cracking” and traffic problems will increase should Bradford Council allow GMV Thirteen Ltd outline planning permission to build at Manywells Brow.

Jacqui Guy, chairman of Cullingworth Parish Council, said: “I feel this is inappropriate. It was not that many years ago that we had an application that was refused and there was a public inquiry in 2005.

“The inspector at that time said that the site should remain for employment and nothing has altered since then. No traffic surveys have been done in the village for many, many years and it seems that, every application for a huge development, the highways department look at in isolation. They don’t look at the overall picture and the infrastructure is cracking.”

There are also concerns about the loss of wildlife and green space, flood water drainage and contamination of land at Manywells Quarry, which is near the proposed nursing home.

Earlier this year, Bradford Councillors approved plans for a two-year £2 million restoration of the landfill site which is now underway.

A spokesman for Commercial Estates Group, which submitted the planning application on behalf of GMV, said its traffic surveys showed roads would be able to support the development and the developers will also make a financial contribution to support education in the area.

The spokesman added: “The high quality development seeks to safeguard the existing 67 jobs at the industrial estate and generate up to 220 additional jobs.”

The Bradford Urban Wildlife Group say the district’s only colony of bee orchids may be lost if the development is allowed but the spokesman said wildlife will be enhanced and carefully managed.