Bury and Whitefield Jewish Primary governors have withdrawn a controversial application to rebuild the school on green belt land.

The intended Whitefield site is considerably closer to the Jewish population than the current building in Unsworth and the governors believe it would attract more pupils. However, the proposal prompted hundreds of written protests from local residents. Bury Council's planning committee had been due to make a final decision this week.

Governors are confident that objections raised in a 70-page planning report can be countered and will submit a fresh planning application in the new year. "If there was an issue we didn't think we could address we wouldn't be resubmitting," one said. "We want more time in order to give the application the fairest chance to meet everybody's needs."

But David Moore of the Old Hall Park Residents' Association said opposition would continue. "There is so little green belt that it would be quite wrong to take that land. It's some of the greatest farming land in Bury."

Planning committee chair Councillor Bernie Vincent maintained that "the council is not against relocating the school. If the governors find a more suitable site an application should go through without any problem."