LOCAL politicians are campaigning for the former Guard House School site in Braithwaite to be used for housing.

District councillors Adrian Farley and Cath Bacon has been working with Bradford Council officers to promote the land as a suitable alternative to greenfield development.

The pair, who represent Keighley West ward on Bradford Council, believe that bringing the neglected hillside site back into use would solve problems such as fly tipping and anti-social behaviour.

The site, owned by the council, is bordered on the bottom by North Dean Road and on top by the Rainbow Children’s Centre and the Merlin Top and Phoenix schools campus.

Guard House School, formerly Calversyke Middle School, closed in 2010, and Cllr Farley said the site had become overgrown since its demolition soon afterwards.

He said: “It’s one of the problem areas in Braithwaite that takes up a lot of my time. I regularly get contacted by residents about fly tipping and anti-social behaviour. The site looks uncared for.

“The council’s education department spends considerable amounts of money removing fly tipping. People back into School Walk in vehicles and dump things over the fence.

“I’m pushing for the school site to be used and raise it with officers on a regular basis. It’s suitable for housing and has good access access, but nobody seems to be coming forward to use it.”

Cllr Farley said the Guard House School site was a better option than using greenfield sites elsewhere in Keighley West ward, such as the controversial development off Occupation Lane.

He added: “This is especially when Bradford Council faces the challenge of meeting government housing targets, and we’re getting groups like BANDAG who don’t want development on greenfield land.”

Cllr Farley has arranged for Community Payback workers to clear up the former Guard House School land, including cutting back the School Walk footpath.

Cllr Farley has also been monitoring progress by Bradford Council on building affordable houses on the former Braithwaite Special School site in Braithwaite Road.

He said: “The project should have gone to the planning committee by now, but when residents were consulted. They raised several concerns.”

These included speeding traffic in Braithwaite Road, access to the site, and particularly drainage issues because the area is prone to flooding.

Cllr Farley said he understood the council was looking at anti-flood measures such as underground rainwater storage tanks and ‘soakaways’.