PLANS for a grassed over street in Haworth to be re-opened to traffic have been recommended for refusal by parish councillors.

Members of Haworth, Cross Roads and Stanbury Parish Council considered the proposals to allow vehicles to return to Fife Street at their annual meeting this month. (May)

The Department of Transport has asked for the top half of the street to be re-opened to provide access to planned housing.

This street is one of several roads in this area which had its surface grassed over to provide more green space.

A planning application was approved by Bradford Council in January to build two new houses on the last remaining vacant site on the street.

But approval was subject to a new access being created, with vehicles travelling along the existing Prince Street and Cliffe Street, then turning back on themselves to go down Fife Street.

Commenting at the parish council meeting last week (May 15) chairman Cllr Gary Swallow reminded councillors that they could only register their views on the intention to re-open the road, not the application for the new houses.

Cllr Angel Kershaw said she opposed re-opening the top half of Fife Street to vehicles.

"A lot of properties in that area don't have gardens, so I'm objecting on the grounds that people would lose a safe place for their children to play," she said.

The council agreed to recommend the Department of Transport's application be turned down, on the grounds of loss of open green space for recreational purposes and loss of water drainage land.

The application for the two new houses relates to land bought by the applicant's great-grandfather in 1975, but has since been used for keeping pigeons and growing fruit and vegetables.

The applicant has argued that similar previously grassed streets in the neighbourhood, such as May Street, Apsley Street and Wren/Lark Street have recently been reinstated as roads.