VILLAGERS have hit out at the local authority for allowing trucks and other construction traffic to pass through narrow residential streets to reach a building site.

People living on the Scalebor Park estate in Burley-in-Wharfedale fear heavy vehicles rumbling past their homes and crossing kerbs could be a danger to children.

The trucks are using residential streets to get in and out of the Moor Lane Centre site, where developer Bellway is building 37 new houses.

Residents attended Bradford Council planning meetings, raising concerns about potential building site traffic on residential streets, but the authority ruled construction vehicles should use these streets to access the site.

They argue the specified route for construction traffic should have been a service road which led directly from Moor Lane itself to the former mental health centre, which closed down several years ago.

One resident, Mark Summerson, of Ron Lawson Crescent, who lives close to the construction site itself, is among those who have captured photographs of heavy vehicles going through the streets, where many families with young children live.

He told the Gazette: "It's the safety that worries us. It's a really highly populated with children here, in the five to 12 range, there's lots playing out at night, and they walk this way to school."

"The council should have really listened to the objections," he added.

The narrow streets also see bigger vehicles crossing the edges of pavements and churning up grass verges, say residents.

The building work began about four months ago, and residents believe it could be a year before the houses are finally built.

People living nearby have also contacted the local Neighbourhood Policing Team over their road safety concerns, and trucks stopping on pavements.

The Council has put up a temporary barrier on one street in a bid to keep pedestrians safe - but concerned residents say this is not enough. They want to see another road become the main access to the site.

The alternative road into the construction site is being used for access to Bellway's sales office.

A spokesman for Bradford Council said: "As part of the planning permission for this site construction traffic is allowed to use the nearby roads.

“However, all developers have a duty to respect the safety and convenience of those living nearby construction sites and to minimise the impact of their activities as much as possible.

“We are in constant contact with the developers of this site and we will discuss with the developers any safety issues which concern residents."