A campaign group has collected hundreds of signatures on a petition against Bradford Council’s proposals to generate electricity from a £1 million turbine in the world heritage site.

Descendants of Sir James Roberts, who bequeathed Roberts Park as an area for leisure for the people of Saltaire , are among 400 people who have signed a petition raised by the Saltaire Screwed group, said spokesman Sharon Ashton.

Bradford Council carried out a consultation into the scheme, which will involve an Archimedes screw on the Roberts Park side of the Salts Mill weir, which the Council says shows residents are broadly supportive of the plan.

However, Mrs Ashton, who held a campaign stall during the Saltaire Festival , said: “We have been in the park and asked people for their views and we do not believe the Council is correct.

“There is probably about 50 per cent of people who are not even aware of it and, what people have said is that they are upset about something like this going in next to the play area in Roberts Park.

“There are also an awful lot of people who can’t even believe that something like this can happen in a world heritage site like Saltaire.”

Mrs Ashton, chairman of Friends of Roberts Park, said campaigners had collected about 400 signatures, which will be added to an ePetition calling for all investigation into the project to be stopped and for the Council to re-think its plans.

Those against the scheme claim it will be “expensive and destructive”, contributing to only 0.5 per cent of the Council’s current energy usage.

However, the scheme, which has gone out to public consultation, has been welcomed by Shipley ’s Green Councillors. Councillor Kevin Warnes said: “I think that the outline proposals are really good and there is a very strong case for completing the evaluation of the project.”

A study commissioned by Bradford Council is on its website at Bradford.gov.uk/bmdc/the_environment/climate_change/hydro_power_scheme.

To sign the ePetition, visit:http://epetition.bradford.publici.tv/epetition_core/community/petition/2007.