A fight is under way to stop houses being built where the famous Cottingley Fairies photographs were taken.

Developer Patchett Homes wants planning permission to build on land between Cottingley Moor Road and Cottingley Beck, as revealed in the Telegraph & Argus last month.

Now the Queensbury-based company has submitted an application to Bradford Council.

Bradford Councillor Margaret Eaton (Con, Bingley Rural) is spearheading the campaign against the scheme, which is for outline permission to develop the fields stretching down from opposite Stoney Lee Middle School towards the centre of Cottingley village.

"The media spotlight has been focused on the village as a result of the film Fairytale - A True Story about the Cottingley Fairies,'' said Coun Eaton. "Unfortunately this planning application has subdued their excitement.

"The land in question was Green Belt until the Council chose to change it to development land as long ago as 1988. Had the land still been Green Belt it would have been protected from development."

Householders in nearby Sandy Lane, who have mounted a high-profile campaign of direct action against plans by Bryant Homes to build 92 homes off Acacia Drive and Aspen Rise, have added their voice to the protest.

Jean Jones said: "We all think this application is diabolical.

"A lot of children from Sandy Lane go to Stoney Lee Middle School. The Council keeps allowing more and more housing to be built but where are all the children going to go to school?"

Coun Eaton added: "The residents are understandably concerned that the proposed development could seriously damage the natural surroundings which contain the site of the fairy story. "

She added that it was important to ensure any development, if it did go ahead, was appropriate.

Nobody from Patchett Homes was available for comment today.

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