Protests from hundreds of people look to have failed to save part of a cemetery from being turned into access for a private housing estate.

Bradford councillors will tomorrow be advised to grant permission to Brunel Housing to create the new access at Bowling Cemetery, Burras Road.

The housing association, which has planning approval for 21 new homes next to the cemetery, slipped up in October when it started demolishing the wall surrounding the cemetery before applying for listed building consent.

This led to a storm of protest from locals who thought it was wrong that people living in the new homes would share gates with mourners visiting graves.

More than 400 people signed a protest petition, which will be considered tomorrow at the planning sub-committee meeting at City Hall.

Alec Firth, who lives near the cemetery in Burras Road, said: "We are not against the houses being built, but we think access should be at the top end, off Rooley Lane, which is where the access has always been in the past.

"We don't think it should be through the cemetery and we strongly object to that."

A report to tomorrow's meeting by planning officials acknowledges the "significant, locally-based opposition" to the scheme, but concludes that it should nevertheless go ahead.

"It is considered that the proposals do not detract from the listed Chapel, or the integrity of the curtilage of the cemetery."

Planners say Brunel Housing could not arrange access from Rooley Lane as they do not have control over the adjoining land, the former Gregory Middle School site, which is the subject of a planning application from the Asda supermarket chain.

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