Residents from a quiet cul-de-sac in Cullingworth turned out in force this week to deliver a message to Bradford planners - leave our green alone.

Villagers from Greenfield Terrace filled the village hall to protest against plans to turn their street into a dropping off point for the new secondary school at Parkside.

Many are worried that the development will take away the green which lies in the middle of the crescent.

Youngsters carrying placards with slogans such as "Save our Green" were accompanied by parents concerned about the threat to the playing area, as well as to four council maisonettes which could be bulldozed to make way for the new measures.

Six-year-old Liam Anderson, a pupil at Cullingworth Primary School, said: "A lot of us play on the green and if it is taken away from us we would have nowhere else to play. I don't think they should get rid of it."

Mum Jane Richards said: "He was genuinely upset when he learned about it, and he was determined to speak out against it.

"The green is the safest play area in the village and if it goes the children will have to cross a busy main road to get to another field.

"Parkside will be a school of excellence, and we are glad about that, but the young children around here need a play area."

Fellow resident John Hooley said: "The proposals are disgusting, absolutely disgusting. The council has once again gone for the cheap option.

"As a resident I feel the demolition of the four maisonettes is totally unacceptable, especially when one of the residents is 92 years old.

"Children come to play on the green and parents let them play here, knowing they are safe. We will fight this all the way."

Parkside is set to double in size when it becomes a secondary school this year, with its pupil capacity swelling from 517 to 1,080.

Bradford council has proposed using Greenfield Crescent as a dropping off point, linked to the school via a footpath and improved pedestrian access, via The Dell, Brunswick Street and Parkside Terrace.

Speed restrictions and no-waiting zones will also be implemented.

Tenants from Parkside Terrace also attended the meeting to voice their displeasure at the proposals to continue using the street as the main access point.

They say this will increase traffic congestion and could potentially block the road to emergency vehicles.

Resident Gordon Crowther said: "I agree entirely with what has been said that they need to get down to basics and rethink the plans.

"No-one's saying we don't want a school there. What we want is proper access which isn't going to annoy a large number of residents.

"This isn't just a problem for residents in Parkside Terrace and Greenfield Crescent, it is a problem for the whole village," added Mr Crowther

Parish councillor Bryan Hobson said: "We think its ridiculous that a problem shared is a problem halved.

"It's ludicrous to think of demolishing four maisonettes, which must be worth £100,000, to build a footpath.

"To lose part of the green would be totally wrong and they haven't come up with the right answer yet. We are adamant to a man and woman that we should reject this application, and we support villagers wholeheartedly in opposing it."

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.