Campaigners are one step closer to winning their battle to prevent hundreds of new homes being built in a Leeds village.
Residents in Menston have won a reprieve in their fight to stop developers building up to 300 new homes at sites on Derry Hill and Bingley Road.
Campaigners from Menston Action Group are claiming a small victory after they told that development had been called to a halt after a planning technicality.
The group claim that relevant Section 106 agreements, which include obligations between developers and the local authority, have not been signed off within the allocated time frame.
The proposals for the new homes have now been referred back to Bradford Council’s Regulatory and Appeals Committee for re-determination.
Dr Steve Ellams, from the Menston Action Group, welcomed the ruling but admitted campaigners still have a long way to go before they can claim full victory against the developers.
He said: “We are absolutely delighted but we appreciate this is not the end of it.
“It means that we have put a stop to it for the time being.
“It’s a rather little muddy mess.
“But we feel at least we have made some major impact and we continue to work away.”
A Government planning inspector recently ruled that the land couldn’t be given protection as a village green following a public inquiry.
But villagers have raised thousands of pounds to help pay for the review to an independent judge, who has the power to quash Bradford Council’s decision to give the green light to the plans.
The group has also drawn up a detailed report that argues the fields earmarked for development are unsuitable and could leave the village at risk of being flooded.
They have spent thousands of pounds hiring a flood risk assessor to look at the sites and collect evidence examining the site’s drainage.
Campaigners, who have spent the last three years opposing the proposed developments, are now bracing themselves to face another planning inquiry next month.
They are also hoping to meet with Housing Minister Nic Bowles at the start of next month.
Dr Ellams added: “In the meantime they have got four weeks until the enquiry starts to somehow get the planning panel back together and look at the evidence and decide whether they will continue with this.”
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