A traditional Wharfedale community is set to increase by a third due to major planned housing developments.

But councillors fear that Menston will lose out.

With more than 600 homes planned and 2,000 new residents expected to enter the village there are concerns that Menston will lose its identity.

The tight-knit community has lived in the shadow of the now closed High Royds psychiatric hospital for more than a 100 years - but with proposals to build more than 250 homes on the site that will now change.

Some fear the threat of 2,000 extra people descending on the village will see it transformed into another commuter suburb for Leeds.

For businesses it could be the break they have needed following the closure of many small shops due to the impact of larger stores.

But for Menston resident and Councillor Chris Greaves, the High Royds development of 568 homes will kill the village.

"There is about 5,000 people in Menston and this will increase it by a third. Leeds are just dumping people in the fringes," he said.

"The daft thing is statistically Menston would remain unchanged as the Government will class them as living in Guiseley.

"Menston would not officially increase and it would not be entitled to any more services. It will not be allowed more library books, street sweepers or benefits because on paper it remains exactly the same and all these people camping out on the edge of the village will take all the resources and put nothing back.

"It is the things that are happening outside Menston that are really going to kill it. I do believe that High Royds is going to be destructive for the village, largely because of the traffic. The traffic will just jam up our village.

"The problem will be when High Royds is built because it will not benefit Menston. It is called Menston but it should be Guiseley. The problems will start when these people want to use our library and our school, they will want to grab all they can from Bradford and not pay anything for it.

"Leeds is strangling the village."

As well as High Royds, 54 homes are planned at the former Heather Court day centre and eight houses at Home Farm, on Bingley Road.

Residents have won a victory with the Heather Court development because 13 affordable houses are being set aside for local residents and the new houses will look better than the former ugly centre.

"We have tried to ensure that developments do not effect the character of the village and can be sustained in the village," added Coun Greaves.

"Heather Court is going to be about 50 units which will be for single people and couples and will be of natural stone.

"For the first time there will be affordable housing for local people, in the past it has meant people in Bradford but this will only be for the village and will not just be for the first occupier.

"We will get improvements for roads by the school and a play area. Heather Court could never have been described as pretty and now we will get a nice building, and that's great.

"It cannot do any harm to local shops. Heather Court was a day centre and was no benefit to the shops. It must do some good, everyone needs newspapers and groceries, they are more likely to survive and it may create more jobs."

Last year the village butcher's shop closed and a 50-year-old newsagents was forced to shut due to a reduction in trade.

Councillor Audrey Brand thinks the influx is excellent news for local businesses to keep the village alive.

"I am hoping that it will be good for the village," she said.

"The smaller shops still have their loyal customers to support them and it would be nice if new people did the same.

"We have shops that supply our everyday need and it will help the village. If any people come into the little shops we would be very grateful."

She doesn't believe High Royds will have a great impact on the village due to the successful integration of the Scalebor Park Hospital complex in Burley-in-Wharfedale.

More than 140 homes are being built in Burley and to date 66 have been sold.

Developers David Wilson Homes has sold 13 detached three and four bedroom homes, 26 three bedroom, three storey homes and all 27 of its luxury two bedroom apartments.

It has just released for sale six bedroomed three storey detached houses, ranging from £575,000 to £585,000 and a selection of three bedroomed, three storey houses ranging in price from £347,999 to £354,999.

David Wilson Homes moved onto the site in January last year and expects to be there until December, 2004.

"The housing is going to be phased over five years so not all the people will be coming in at once," added Coun Brand.

"I do not think we will lose our community spirit, if the new people go anywhere they will go in the Leeds direction.

"Burley has had over 200 new houses at Scalebor and the village has coped extremely well.

"I think High Royds will be overdeveloped if there are more than 500 units like the Scalebor site in Burley.

"The impact there will not be a burden that they will all be charging into the village but it will cause problems with them going onto the A65."

Chairman of Burley Community Council Bruce Speed believes that the large Scalebor development has not had an adverse impact on the Burley community.

"There have been people living on the Scalebor development for over a year now," he said.

"There is obviously more traffic and more people using the station and buses, but more people are using the shops.

"I think Burley is large enough to absorb all these families and there has not been an adverse impact.

"It has been positive for us in gaining the new football and cricket ground."

Bradford Planning officers are currently looking at the possibility of creating a conservation area for the centre of Menston to restrict planning and to protect it.