HOUSES could be built on the site of the derelict Church of Christ the King in Crossflatts.

A planning application has been submitted Bradford Council for 14 houses on the land, which lies between Bradford Road and the Leeds and Liverpool Canal.

The Roman Catholic Church, which closed in 2006, would be demolished to make way for the mix of townhouses, semi-detached and detached houses.

The Church of Christ the King was among several Catholic churches in the district that closed in 2006 due to declining congregations and a shortage of priests.

The Bishop of Leeds decided to merge the then 20 parishes in Bradford into ten.

Plans were submitted in 2011 to demolish the church and replace it with a £5 million care home.

The proposed three-storey, 58-bed care home would have employed between 70 and 100 full and part-time staff.

These plans were threatened after otters were discovered living near the site on the banks of the nearby canal. Bats were also found roosting in the building.

The latest plan has been submitted by Pinnacle Homes, the current owners of the 0.4 hectare rectangular site, which is bordered by Alexander Court and Poplar Terrace.

SR Design, writing on behalf of Pinnacle Homes, said the 2011 planning permission for a care home have now lapsed.

They added: “We intend to demolish the existing church buildings which currently exist in the middle of the site.

“We propose to remove several trees which were originally approved be till moved. The application is accompanied with tree consultants’ report.”

The developers will also submit reports on drainage, wildlife, landscaping and highways before starting building work.

They said they had already had various conversations and discussions with members of the local community to seek their views on the proposed development.

The plan includes an access road from Bradford Road with turning facilities at the bottom half of the site, with a private driveway to the top part.

SR Design added: “Careful consideration has been made to overcome overlooking and overshadowing issues, provide adequate parking, and be appropriate to fit in with the surroundings.”

The Church of Christ the King was opened in 1940 as a chapel of ease to the Sacred Heart Church in Bingley.

The Crossflatts church was originally built to serve a new housing estate the Council had proposed to still nearby, but the estate was switched to Cottingley.

Over the next 50 years the church regularly filled to its 250-seat capacity, but the declining congregation led to its closure after Mass on Sunday August 13, 2006.