Families are back on the warpath in a bid to stop a major development on a former industrial site.

Residents celebrated in July when Harrogate-based Gregory Properties dropped its plans for a leisure scheme with a massive multiplex cinema shortly before a public inquiry. They had collected a 500-name petition in a bid to stop it.

But the company has now submitted a planning application to Leeds Council for an office and restaurant scheme instead at Midpoint, Thornbury.

It wants to build a 150,000 square foot office, which could become a call centre. There are also plans for a 35,000 square foot office block and three drive-in restaurants.

The drive-ins would be linked with a planned multi-screen cinema on the adjoining Phoenix Park site.

Director Barry Gregory says he expects it to create hundreds of jobs.

But today a spokesman from the residents' action group said they were relaunching the campaign.

She said the families would be attending protest meetings.

"We are determined to stop this. We are worried about pollution being uncovered on the site, as well as the large amount of extra traffic and noise."

The company has said it hopes the planning application can be dealt with as quickly as possible because a company interested in the main office block wanted to occupy the building by December next year.

Leeds ward councillor Andrew Carter (Con, Pudsey) says any planning consent must take into account the extra traffic created by the Owlcotes shopping centre.

He says the Council should discuss with the developers, Asda and Marks and Spencer the need to implement road safety measures at Dawson Corner.

A Leeds Council spokesman said: "It is already our position that the developers of the Midpoint site should be required to contribute towards traffic improvements in the area.

"As the previous application was withdrawn it was not possible to make progress at that time. A full assessment of the impact of traffic generated by the proposed development will be made before we recommend whether we accept it or not.

"There are also a number of other aspects of the development which will need to be considered."

But today Gregory Properties director Barry Gregory said: "There will actually be less impact on the area from the new proposals."

He said all the issues, including the site and traffic, had been dealt with when their previous planning application for the leisure scheme went through.

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