Bradford City Football Club could ditch their plans for a prestige soccer academy on Council-owned land at Apperley Bridge.

Engineers are carrying out tests on the land which was at the centre of a bitter battle with residents last year.

There are fears that the water-logged pitches could lead to players suffering serious injuries.

Apperley Bridge Development Residents Association (ABDRA), which has 300 members, said it was a natural flood plain and unsuitable for the £1.5 million development.

But the Council decided to lease the ground to the club and Bradford Area Planning Panel approved the planning application, subject to confirmation from Secretary of State John Prescott.

He ultimately confirmed the decision, allowing the development on green belt land.

During the campaign, ABDRA pointed that it was in an area designated as being of special landscape interest and a haven for wild life. But now the proposals for changing rooms, a gym, office and a groundsman's flat at Elm Tree Farm in Apperley Bridge have been put on ice.

Club managing director Shaun Harvey said plans for the academy depended on the results of tests currently being carried out on the land by engineers.

Team training was switched from Apperley Bridge to a private site at Adel, Leeds, recently and since then the Bantams' fortunes have changed as they have lost only one match.

Mr Harvey said: "We are awaiting the results of site tests by an engineer. If pitches are heavy, they are very difficult for training and it leads to injuries. There have been injuries."

But ABDRA spokesman Joan Brown said; "We told them the site was unsuitable because it was a flood plain and it is very sad they found out the hard way.

"We wish them well and hope they find a suitable site because we are not against a football academy for Bradford.