CAMPAIGNERS wanting to preserve the heritage of Ilkley are celebrating victory in a fresh battle against developers.

An appeal by a developer wanting to build a block of eight apartments in the garden of a house at Willow Springs, Gilstead Way, Middleton, has been dismissed by a Department of the Environment planning inspector, according to a parish councillor.

Councillor Audrey Brand, the chairman of Ilkley Parish Council planning committee, said she was delighted by the news.

"I am pleased about it because it shows that people take notice of Ilkley Parish Council," said Coun Brand.

The appeal, by Micklegate Special Projects Limited, took place at Ilkley Town Hall after Bradford councillors refused planning permission for the firm to build the apartment block.

The application had been opposed by the parish council, the Ilkley Design Statement Group, Ilkley Civic Society, district councillors and residents, who signed a 300-signature petition of protest.

There were also 70 individual letters of objection from locals who felt that the development would be totally out of character for the area.

The hearing was also told that the development would adversely affect drainage in the area, being the site of a former lake.

Councillor Brand told the inspector that she had received complaints from nearby residents of sewage in their gardens.

During the hearing David Manley, for the company, accused Bradford Council of applying 'inflexible' planning guidelines.

Yesterday, Coun Brand said that the inspector had sent a clear message to developers that they would not be allowed to construct inappropriate buildings in Ilkley.

She said that if the company had been given permission to build the apartment block, it could have opened the floodgates to other developers who had been knocking on doors in the area offering to buy houses with large grounds which could be built on.