HUNDREDS of people have signed a petition in a bid to save a social club in the heart of their estate from demolition.

Plans were submitted last month, by a Mr J Cordingley, of Crag Investments, to raze Holmewood Social Club on Broadstone Way and build a new Heron Foods store and three more retail units.

Devastated regulars and those who have grown up with the club as a landmark on the estate have spoken of their upset at the prospect of it being consigned to the history books.

Many have rallied around Michelle Lowther, landlady of nine years, to show their support and sent out a rallying cry that they want the club to stay a part of the community. Now, around 450 people have signed a petition to Bradford Council's planning department to make sure their voice is heard.

Michelle, 51, said of the support: "I was amazed, but I knew they would."

She said everyone she has spoken to on the estate "won't let it go without a fight" because it's at the heart of the community.

She added: "This is home to a lot of pensioners that don't have anyone at home. If it goes, there will be nowhere for them to go to see each other. They've been coming here longer than I've run it - it's like a community hub for the estate, there will be a lot of disappointed people on the estate, plus a lot of lonely pensioners."

As well as the petition, many comments have also been left on the Council's planning portal objecting to the plans.

Simon Davies wrote: "Why not combine both. Look at the Co-op in the village centre in Baildon. They knocked down a social club, built the Co-op and put the Beeches social club [sic] upstairs. Benefit of this is that both an increase in retail however retention of the social club which was made all modern and a much nicer place to visit and amenable to holding parties, events, as well as retaining the snooker room etc."

And Susan Tomlinson said: "The club has been on the estate for such a long time it would be a crying shame to see it go."

However, some people have also shown support for the plans.

Andrea Cox wrote: "It would be a bonus for the community, especially the elderly and disabled to have more shops."

Scott Pedley added that he felt it would boost the chances of himself, and other unemployed people in the area, getting a job. He said he felt it would also help people reliant on public transport to complete tasks like the weekly shop and it would be a "huge help" to the elderly.

The application said: "The social club is of a poor visual quality and the large expanse of parking impacts negatively upon the streetscape. The area currently lacks a high quality centre or a heart for the neighbourhood. The concept for a New Heart is to concentrate investment on the Broadstone local centre to the north of the neighbourhood.

The vision is to raise the overall quality and range of shops through the introduction of new larger premises and to promote this location for a small convenience supermarket. The NDP seeks to create a high quality public space extending across Broadstone Way and observes that 'the social club represents a key development opportunity' within this area."