Local uproar after animal small-holding earmarked for housing site near Horsforth

There has been a huge outpouring of support from the local public for Harry Turner, who is aged 80, and keeps goats, chickens, geese, ducks and racing pigeons at his land off Calverley Lane, near Horsforth.

He has been there for the last 25 years and he also sells eggs to the local community but that is under threat, according to his daughter Samantha Lumb, after the council earmarked the land as a potential future housing site.

An entirely new housing community, with several hundred new homes has been developed nearby over the last few years and building work continues at the former industrial site between Calverley and Horsforth.

Starting a petition on change.org she said: "We have all our live stock on here and sell eggs to the local community. We have been here for over 25 years. There is enough building going on in Horsforth please help us stop this. We are part of the community. People love coming to see our animals. My father is 80 years old and devastated by this."

This afternoon there were just shy of 3,700 names lending their support to the family's plight which comes just months after some of Mr Turner's racing pigeons were stolen.

They were also concerned about the loss of more green space and that Horsforth cannot cope with the increasing demand on schools and health services due to excessive house-building in the town.

Alex Tansley·said: "Harry and his farm are part of the community, selling local produce. This type of enterprise should be supported and encouraged, not removed."

Stacey Wright said: "I’ve lived and worked in Horsforth for 40 years only recently moved to Bradford, I can’t remember a time when I haven’t passed here and thought how lovely it is to still see greenery in Horsforth, it would be an eye sore and make the already busy roundabout even worse. Sometimes progress needs to stop, look round and appreciate the world it’s destroying."

Pamela Agar added: "There is already too much building in Horsforth for the roads, schools and doctors to cope with."