RESIDENTS in Breightmet are urging planners to rule offside a developer's scheme to build houses on a soccer club's playing fields.

Barratt homes wants to build 75 houses on land owned by Wyresdale Football Club, one of the oldest in Bolton.

The plan has angered residents who organised a meeting to discuss what can be done to fight the proposals. But the meeting attracted more than 400 people and the organisers had to postpone it on safety grounds.

Barratt wants to build a variety of homes, including three-storey town houses and four bedroom detached houses, on the site of off Brodick Drive. The football club wants to sell the land and relocate to a new site at Croftside.

Residents say that if the plan is approved they will lose a children's playing field the club allows them to use and a footpath to Blackshaw Primary School. They also fear the area's narrow roads will not be able to cope with the extra traffic.

The football club, founded in 1864, wants to move because it is £28,000 in debt and has no room to expand. There are also drainage problems with the site.

The relocation would keep the club running and it would be able to develop top football facilities with an estimated £750,000 investment.

John Nuttall, Wyresdale's spokesman, said: "I understand the residents' concerns but it is my duty to recognise that this move needs to be made. We have no other way of repaying the debts and we want to keep the club running."

Father-of-two Ian Settle, of Mendip Drive, said: "Our housing estate has been here for 30 years and there has been free access to the land. It is a safe play area for children and we don't want to lose it.

"We also have concerns about the traffic that will be created by this large development. The roads are too narrow to support any more cars." His wife, Lynne, added: "The path leads straight through to the school. If the development goes ahead there will be two roads cutting across it."

Breightmet Councillor Madeline Murray is keeping an open mind until everyone's views have been heard, but she will be supporting the majority opinion.

She said: "There are so many people with questions about this issue. It does strike me the roads are very narrow."

Another meeting is being planned to be held at Breightmet Labour Club in the next few weeks.

It will include planning chiefs, local councillors, and representatives of Barratt Homes and the football club.

Another dad, who lives in Honiton Drive, said: "It is the nearest recreation site and the only one that parents will let their children go to.

"It is very upsetting for residents. I would say that 99 per cent of those who turned up at the public meeting were against this proposal."