A PROPOSED housing development on a site lying just beyond Ilkley's Conservation Area was branded as a mix between a casino and a Spanish holiday resort by objectors this week.

A tower almost 50 feet high was proposed as the centre piece of a courtyard housing plan for the site at Hollingwood, Victoria Avenue.

But after considering objections and making a site visit, planning chiefs rejected the plan.

In an e-mail read out to the meeting of the Keighley Area Planning Panel, Ilkley District Councillor Martin Smith lambasted the plan.

He said: "I am extremely concerned about the density of the scheme which includes a 46 feet high clock tower which overshadows the development and surrounding properties.

"The scheme would be acceptable for one of the Spanish Costas but is not suitable for the surrounding area of Ilkley. This is the wrong scheme and needs to be refused."

Ilkley District and Parish Councillor Anne Hawkesworth told the meeting: "It brought to mind Las Vegas for me and a casino - they should go back to square one."

"This application is an example of bad design and a bad example of what we should be doing with land in Ilkley."

Kate Brown, chairman of the Ilkley Parish Council planning committee said that highway problems would be caused in the area by the extra traffic generated by the development, despite assurances from the council's highway officers.

"Highway officers live on a different planet than the rest of us," said Councillor Brown.

But architect Adam Clark defended the scheme and its large tower. He told the meeting: "As the architect for this scheme I think it is very appropriate for Ilkley. It is not a water tower it is accommodation giving splendid views across the Wharfe Valley. We put an awful lot of time and effort into this."

Judy Hutton, a neighbour who objected to the development, said after the meeting: "I am very pleased to see common sense has prevailed. We are not opposed to some sort of reasonable development on the site but it was the density we objected to."

After the meeting, planning panel chairman Chris Greaves said that the main reason for its unanimous rejection was that the developers were trying to cram too many houses onto the site which measures around one acre.

Wharfedale District Councillor Greaves (Con) said 19 homes on the site was too many and he accused the developer of trying to 'squeeze a quart into a pint pot'.

The panel members also considered that the design of the houses, including the large tower, was inappropriate and there would be a risk to mature protected trees on the site.

"It was all round over development which was the main issue. They were trying to put too much on the site and they need to re-think," said Coun Greaves.

Objectors are now hoping that the developer, Burley-in-Wharfedale based Burley Developments, will come up with a more acceptable scheme rather than putting in an appeal to the Department of the Environment.