The developer behind a controversial housing scheme has come under fire over flooding problems.

Bryant Homes recently started work on building 92 houses off Acacia Drive and Aspen Rise in Sandy Lane, Bradford, despite massive protests from residents.

Now the company has been accused of flooding a neighbouring field by diverting water which was pouring onto their building site after several days of heavy rain.

Landowner Ian Whitwham, of Wilsden Road, who owns the field adjoining the site and has two horses there, said today: "The Bryant Homes site flooded and the water was in danger of flooding some bungalows next to the site.

"They dug a channel and diverted the flood onto my land without my permission. It was like a river. I couldn't let my two horses out."

The flooding, which turned the building site into a quagmire before the heavy rain stopped, is the latest in a catalogue of headaches for Bryant Homes.

Objectors have been joined by seasoned environmental campaigners, some of whom are based at the protest camp set up in the path of the proposed Bingley relief road.

They are angry that Bradford Council gave the housing scheme the go-ahead.

Since planning permission was granted, campaigners have staged various protests. They have blockaded the site with caravans and earlier this week forced work to halt by climbing onto a digger.

Mr Whitwham, who took his own photographs of water pouring onto his field and the overflowing channel which was dug by workmen, said one of residents' biggest complaints was lack of information about what was happening.

"Bryant Homes say they are communicating with the village but they didn't communicate with me. They had a big problem and they gave it to me," he said.

No one from Bryant Homes was prepared to comment on the matter when the company was contacted by the Telegraph & Argus.

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