THERE will be a lot of people sympathise with the views of campaign group Bandag.

It is devoted to protecting Keighley's green spaces from housing.

Countless times we have seen residents across the town and in communities beyond fight plans for homes on greenfield sites.

Occupation Lane in Keighley and Thornhill Road at Steeton are just two examples.

And more often than not, it is the developer that comes out on top.

But no matter how much you support the objectives of the group, you do have to wonder if it is becoming slightly detached from reality.

Its suggestion that cash-strapped Bradford Council should buy-up a swathe of the North Beck valley is, in the current financial climate, ludicrous.

To see the valley given protection from development would be lovely. Few would disagree with that.

We need to keep what green 'lungs' we can and push developers towards the countless brownfield sites that stand vacant across the district.

However, while council services are being cut and more savings are going to have to be made, this is not the time to be thinking about the authority forking out for land.

Of course, if alternative funding sources can be found...