A RESIDENT of one of Ilkley's most exclusive neighbourhoods has attacked Bradford Council's planning process after his bid to extend the property was blocked for the third time.

Clive Brook, of 108 Curly Hill, Middleton, has been trying to get planning permission to extend his home since he bought the property in December, 2000.

Mr Brook and his partner, Kim Dobson, wanted extra space for bedrooms for their two children, Jessica, nine and Kodie, five.

But their planning application to increase the height of the roof and extend the garage was turned down - first by the Keighley Area Planning Panel and then by a Department of the Environment inspector following an appeal against the panel's decision.

Mr Brook then submitted another planning application for a smaller extension to the property. This would raised the height of the roof just over a metre, leaving enough space for bedrooms to be constructed on the first floor.

The new application would increase the overall volume of the building by around 25 per cent, a lot less than the previous one which wanted to increase it by around 50 per cent, and the plan to extend the garage had been abandoned.

Despite officers recommending approval, and support from Ilkley Parish Council, Keighley area planning panel threw the application out again.

The case will now go to appeal once again, which should take place in May this year with a decision expected a few weeks later.

After the meeting Mr Brook said: "It makes a mockery of the planning system. The planning officer and Ilkley Parish Council had recommended approval and I had 23 letters of support.

"In the last 18 months there have been four extensions similar or larger which have been granted in Curly Hill."

But planning panel chairman Councillor Christ Greaves (Con, Rombalds) defended the decision to refuse the plan on the grounds that it would be a disproportionate addition to the property and have an adverse effect on the visual character of the adjoining Special Landscape Area.

He said that the same application had been submitted in November last year and it had been turned down then by members. That application is now the subject of the appeal the Department of the Environment. "The application was identical to the previous application that the panel turned down. Officers have to be consistent and the panel was consistent," said Coun Greaves.

Following refusal to grant planning permission in November, Mr Brook wrote to Bradford Council's complaints officers saying he was angry at the way the officers' recommendations had been overruled. In his letter he says: "Following the disappointment of the original appeal being refused we substantially modified and moderated our plans with the blessing of the planning office, parish council and local residents.

"We are at a loss to understand why the planning committee rejected the application. I would like to formally complain about the manner in which this application has been dealt with."

But the complaints officer wrote back saying that there had not been any miscarriage of justice or maladministration in the way the case had been dealt with.

Mr Brooks told the Gazette: "It is very frustrating and very annoying - it is the smallest extension in Curly Hill." He and his family are now pinning their hopes on the appeal decision.