Bradford City's plans for a flagship £3 million football academy have taken a major step forward - and run into huge opposition from residents.

Today families in Apperley Bridge said they would fight to the bitter end to stop the development on scenic Green Belt land.

The residents launched their battle after Bradford Council's Executive Committee agreed to lease two parcels of land to the club for the state-of-the-art development - subject to planning permission and any objections to its disposal.

If the plan goes ahead it will put City in line with its 19 fellow Premiership clubs. The Bantams say the scheme would help build for the future and produce home-grown talent, as well as benefiting the community.

But the families say they want the academy for young players to be built on the site of Eccleshill Upper School, which will close as part of the schools' shake-up.

Apperley Bridge Residents Association, which has 300 members, says it will cause "horrendous" traffic problems and be an eyesore next to a designated site of local importance for nature conservation.

The opposition follows a row over a recent planning application to increase the size of the Sunwin Stand at Valley Parade which eventually got the go-ahead.

Yesterday's committee meeting dealt only with the commercial leasing of the land.

A planning application submitted by the club for the development will go to a separate Area Panel meeting, where the residents' objections will be considered.

A final decision will have to be made by Secretary of State for Environment and Transport in the Regions John Prescott, however, because the land is in Green Belt.

The academy - including a sports hall, pitches and a cricket square - would be established at Elm Tree Farm, off Harrogate Road, Apperley Bridge, bordering the River Aire, Apperley Lane and Apperley Road. City have used the Rawdon Meadows pitches on the opposite side of Harrogate Road for training for 25 years.

Today City's Managing Director Shaun Harvey said the club was delighted by the decision of the Executive Committee.

He added: "We are taking one hurdle at a time and we were hoping this would go through. We have done a lot of work and this would give us the opportunity to go forward and give the future players the opportunity to go for the premier league.

"The residents have concerns, but our involvement in the land would stabilise it for the future. We would be neighbours for a long time."

He stressed that the academy would be a top quality development and there would be very little effect on existing traffic. Mr Harvey added that the Eccleshill site was not big enough.

Council leader Councillor Ian Greenwood said at the Executive Committee: "I support it wholeheartedly. We don't have flat land and this is one of the few locations which is suitable. City is one of our premier regeneration partners.

"We could not have bought for £50 million what they have given us. The demeanour of the club and its players is exemplary.

"We are grateful to Bradford City and we value their contribution. We will do everything we can to encourage and facilitate them."

But Secretary of Apperley Bridge Residents' Association Joan Brown said: "They are planning to build a monster of a thing on a natural flood plain, which is also a special landscape area and a Green Belt site. The sheer size of it is wrong in this area and it will cause so many traffic problems as well."

She said they had written to conservation and wildlife organisations ranging from the Council for the Protection of Rural England to Bradford Ornithological Society, urging them to fight the proposals.

Mrs Brown said they would also press the Secretary of State for a public inquiry if the planning application was referred to him.

Jean and Roy Margerison, who live in nearby Apperley Lane, have also submitted objections to the planning application.

Mrs Margerison, 60, said: "According to the plans it will be totally out of proportion with the surrounding buildings.

"It will look like a huge tin warehouse about twice the size of the Stansfield Arms and George and Dragon here, which are both listed buildings."

She said parking already caused congestion in Apperley Road when existing sports fields were in use, and traffic would increase, particularly at the Harrogate Road/Apperley Lane junction.

Liberal Democrat councillors who voted against the land disposal at yesterday's meeting said they were not against the academy but felt the land was an "easy option" and the club should look elsewhere.

Councillor David Ward (Lib Dem, Idle) said: "This is Green Belt land. We must not allow emotional blackmail to persuade us to support City's wish to build on land we would not allow anyone else to build on."

The proposed academy would see training from 10am to 1pm four days of the week, and 10am to 3pm on a fifth day, as well as senior and youth team matches on one pitch on alternate Saturdays from 11am to 1pm, youth team matches on one pitch every Sunday and on another pitch on alternate Sundays.

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