An innovative disabled people's complex opened by the Princess Royal last month would not have been built if a housing association which owns it had realised its cul-de-sac location was only temporary, its bosses revealed today.

Planning permission is likely to be granted for more homes to be built on the former Westwood Hospital site, meaning a through road is likely to be constructed beside the £2.7million Eden Gardens complex, run by Hanover Housing Association in Quail Avenue, Clayton Heights.

Jacana Way, which runs alongside it, would also become a feeder road to the 317-home development, prompting similar anger from residents who also believed they had moved into a cul-de-sac and are preparing a petition in protest.

But today a Bradford Council spokesman said the homes and roads plan at Brayshaw reservoir had been given outline planning permission since 1996 and an application by house builder Barratts for full permission in February this year had been publicised.

Hanover Housing Association bought the site in 1997 for the complex, which has been created in partnership with the Council.

Complex manager Paula Broadbent said: "We are absolutely appalled. We have only just found out about this. When Hanover Housing bought the land it was next to a reservoir and thought that it was never going to be an issue. When we requested planning permission to build this in 1997 it should have been disclosed.

"Now there is a security problem for the residents. Before it was a cul-de-sac and no-one came down here but if it is opened then it will be an easy target for thieves.

"The people here are physically disabled adults, some are blind and deaf, and they use wheelchairs as their main form of transport. They use the paths to get out and about and it is causing grave safety concerns about the extra traffic."

A Council spokesman said: "The proposals for the Brayshaw Reservoir site were given outline planning permission in 1996 and applications for the plans were made in 1992. The roads were always intended to serve the Brayshaw Reservoir estate. The Council has done everything right but because of the circumstances unfortunately the residents have not realised what was going on there."

Mark Chapman, of Jacana Way, said: "We are absolutely outraged. None of our local searches revealed anything about the proposed road, we brought our homes thinking we were in a cul-de-sac. If when I come to sell my house it is worth less than what I paid for it then I will be considering legal action."

Bradford Area Panel will consider the Brayshaw reservoir homes application at a meeting on Thursday.