Work has started on a £4.5 million community centre which has the backing of the Prince of Wales.

Builders have moved onto the site of the Cottingley Cornerstone Centre after contracts were signed between the trustees of the charity and project partners.

It is hoped the centre and housing will be completed by spring or early summer, 2008.

The agreement, led by Yorkshire-based law firm Gordons, involved developers Close Brothers and Bramley Homes, the Diocese of Bradford, Cottingley Cornerstone Centre and Bradford Council to allow the development of facilities and houses at Littlelands in Cottingley to proceed.

The chairman of Cottingley Cornerstone Centre the Reverend Canon Sue Pinnington said: "This is another milestone for the community here in Cottingley and in a strange way is the beginning of the end.

"Of course there is still an enormous amount of work to do, and without the strong partnerships we have built up with Bradford Council and the developers we could not have reached this stage.

"But very soon everyone will see the physical shape of what has been developed over the last three years and by late spring or early summer of 2008 we hope to have our new community facilities up and running."

The contract involved the transfer of land from Bradford Council to the Diocese of Bradford, the sale of land for housing to Bramley Homes and a lease for Cottingley Cornerstone Centre from the Diocese.

Peter Foskett, partner at Gordons and registrar for the Bradford diocese, said: "We are very pleased that this important community project is now in a position to proceed."

Cottingley Cornerstone Centre, a charity, will provide facilities including a function hall, IT rooms, GP surgery, nursery, elderly daycare, youth rooms, respite care for disabled people, arts and crafts room and a church.

The project, which has been planned for three years, will also have 52 houses and apartments.

The budget is £8.5m and £3.9 million has been raised towards the centre, including £1 million from the government-backed programme Futurebuilders England.

Prince Charles, who is taking an interest in the development, has made a donation from his own private charity.

Mr Foskett said: "The recent setting up of Paypal for donations on our website has already started to bear fruit and donations can also be sent to our registered office at Fletcher Greenwood & Co, 11 Broad Street, Manor Row in Bradford."

e-mail: fiona.evans@bradford.newsquest.co.uk