Motocross bikers, quad riders, 4x4 drivers and spectators gathered at a protest at the Flappit off-road site near Cullingworth on Sunday over the proposed closure of access to the site.

The 100 enthusiasts braved freezing conditions to state their opposition to the announcement that the Flappit layby, which gives access to the site, is to be made out of bounds by Bradford Council.

The council has announced its intention to close the layby next to the former quarry, citing health and safety grounds.

But protesters argued that the site, which has been in existence for more than 50 years, had a good safety record and that it was the only local site available for young people to enjoy their hobby.

The layby closure will also impact on a mobile café based there and passing truck drivers who often pull into the layby for their mandatory rest stops.

Steven Fletcher, 28, who organised the protest, and is himself a keen 4x4 off-roader, said: “I’ve been coming here since I was five years old. There’s a real community here, we all help each other.

“They are saying they are closing it for health and safety reasons but if you had the place full of horse riders there would be people getting injured all over the place. Most of the people here are very safety conscious, you get the odd one but that’s the same anywhere. The only other place a lot of these lads can go is in Doncaster and you have to pay £25.”

Kenny Knowles has been coming to Flappit for 30 years. “I used to cycle here from Bradford as a young lad,” he said. “Now my lad’s 12 and he’s been coming here eight years. Where else are young people supposed to go on their own? I can’t see a problem with the place — I hope they don’t close it.”

A petition to keep the layby can be signed on ipetitions.com/petition/Keepflappitsopen/index.html