Residents have expressed concern about plans to build 140 homes on land off Oakworth Road in Keighley.

Around 70 people attended a meeting last week to discuss the proposals from housing developers Persimmon Homes.

The company had invited people living near the proposed site – in Occupation Lane – to a consultation meeting in Bracken Bank.

It wanted to gather the views of the public before submitting a formal planning application to Bradford Council.

Persimmon intends to build two, three and four-bedroom properties on land to the left of Occupation Lane as it rises from Oakworth Road, above the entrance with Oakbank School.

Ward councillor Jan Smithies, who attended the meeting, said residents were particularly anxious about access to the site, roads issues and drainage.

Some residents wondered how the new houses would affect the views from their own homes, and others feared the housing development could affect a nearby bridleway.

She said: “I think people have got a lot of concerns on a range of issues. These can’t be addressed until there’s a formal planning application.”

Persimmon organised the consultation meeting at the Sue Belcher Centre, Bracken Bank, to gain residents’ views before submitting the formal planning application to Bradford Council.

Coun Smithies, representing the West Ward on Bradford Council, said: “Persimmon hope to have the planning application to the council in the next two or three weeks.

“At the meeting people were given papers to fill in with their concerns. Persimmon said they would look at things again before the plans were submitted, so there might be some changes.”

Coun Smithies said that once a planning application had been submitted, her role would be to advise local people how they could object, and on what grounds.

She added: “People were talking about getting themselves organised. There have been previous planning applications on the site.”

Wayne Gradwell, managing director at Persimmon Homes West Yorkshire, said the company was in the early stages of a planning application to build approximately 140 much-needed new homes.

He said: “The proposed housing mix will incorporate a collection of two, three and four bedroom properties.

“As a responsible developer we will ensure that access into the development meets the necessary local and national highway standards.

“We are currently collating the feedback from the recent public consultation event and this will be considered and help form our planning submission.”