A leading environmental pressure group today condemned plans for a housing estate and school development next to a controversial landfill site.

Friends of the Earth warned of possible health risks with the proposed development next to the former Manywells tip in Cullingworth. It said a string of surveys at other landfill sites in the country had shown there was evidence of possible links between similar tips and birth defects amongst children living close-by.

Developer M&B Commercial Properties, which owns the land between Sutton Drive and the tip, wants to build a housing estate on the 16.5 acre site. It also plans to give some of the land to Cullingworth's Parkside School so it can develop new community facilities.

Today a spokesman for the campaign group backed the view of local protesters who have claimed waste buried at Manywells could put the health of youngsters at risk.

He said: "Friends of the Earth believes it is a bad idea to build housing or a school near the closed landfill site. Three recent studies have showed links between babies born near landfill sites (within about two miles) and birth defects. There is now enough evidence for people to have serious concerns about living next to landfill sites."

The view was supported by Brian Hobson, acting chairman of Cullingworth Parish Council, who claimed activities by former operator Wastepoint Ltd at the site had been poorly monitored. "I really don't think people know what is in that tip," he said.

Today Tony Rickwood, headteacher of Parkside School, pledged the school would not go ahead with the development until it had every guarantee the site was safe.

Peter McManus, a surveyor for M&B, said it had received assurances from Bradford Council the Manywells site was safe.

He said: "All the works that have been done there are in accordance with the latest specifications laid down by the Environment Agency. They were all put in place to ensure there were no leakagaes from the site or dangers to health."