Developers will be meeting residents to discuss their ambitious plans for more than 500 homes at High Royds Hospital.

Plans for the future of the Menston psychiatric hospital will be unveiled to the public tomorrow followed by a Community Forum meeting on Wednes-day.

Since its sale was confirmed to the Raven Group for £26million last year the community has been waiting in anticipation to see how it will effect the area.

An outline of the proposals is expected to include plans for 550 flats and houses and new facilities from a theatre and paper shop to a day nursery and possibly a hotel or private hospital.

A new primary school and health care centre are also being considered on the site.

It will be focusing on recreation and leisure by retaining and upgrading the cricket and football pitches, building a pavilion, changing rooms and sports and social club. Residents will be encouraged to use the area as a recreational park with the establishment of public footpaths and bridleways.

The modern buildings are expected to be replaced with new properties.

Traffic will be a major issue due to the impact on the A65 as it is estimated there will be 600 vehicle movements an hour.

However, a free estate bus will be created to take residents to Menston Train Station and Metro Travel has agreed to increase the train to four carriages at peak times.

Raven Group representative Ben Krauze will be attending the meeting with six specialists in landscaping, highways, environmental impact, listed building use and new buildings.

The Menston Community Association decided it would be in the village's best interests to devote the entire Community Forum on Wednesday to a presentation and discussion of the proposals.

MP Paul Truswell is urging planners to visit the site at peak morning and evening times once a planning application is received.

"The injection of hundreds of extra cars into the system from 550 homes, office accommodation, and a school could only mean more congestion all along the A65 from Rawdon, longer peak period congestion, and possible paralysis in the system," he said.

"A knock on effect could be more rat-running, and possibly more accidents as traffic tries to get into, out of, and around the High Royds site.

"Public transport links are inadequate, the developers have indicated that they will provide residents with Metro cards. But local rail services cannot cope with existing demand at peak times, and buses will just be caught up in the same congestion as cars."

The proposals will be on display at the Kirklands Community Centre on Friday and Saturday from 12pm to 4pm and in Menston Library on Monday 2pm to 7pm, Thursday and Friday 2pm to 5pm and Saturday 9.30am to 12pm.

The Community Forum will take place on Wednesday at Menston Primary School, Main Street, Menston, at 7.30pm.

Residents are also invited to attend a special study group day to discuss the effect on the village and its amenities on Saturday, February 8, from 10.45am at Kirklands Community Centre.

There will be three small groups every hour discussing traffic and transport, site facilities and services and environmental issues.

The sessions will be repeated at 11.45am, 12.45pm and 1.45pm.

For more details contact Menston Community Association on 01943 877883.