Traffic experts will decide the fate of a project to develop a former factory site, which would help change the face of Keighley.

Members of the Keighley Area Planning Panel agreed in principle with proposals for the old Wask engineering site, on the banks of the River Worth, but have delegated a decision to Bradford Council's transportation, design and planning department.

Developers want to build houses, a residential care home and business units on a strip of land which stretches across both sides of Woodhouse Road.

Planning officers see the land as forming a potentially important part of the Airedale Masterplan, which was published in March 2005.

The masterplan discusses how the river can be used as a focal point for regeneration.

The planning panel deferred the Wask site plans last month, because members were concerned they would lead to traffic problems on Woodhouse Road.

Following a site visit to the area on Wednesday, members agreed the current access route was inadequate and dangerous.

Councillor Lynne Joyce, pictured, warned that restricting the number of cars on Woodhouse Road could force more motorists to use the already busy Coney Lane bridge.

She said the developers' plans were worth supporting but could make the traffic problem much worse.

The panel suggested the proposals should be approved subject to conditions to ease congestion on Woodhouse Road.

They put forward measures such as a new pedestrian footbridge alongside the Woodhouse Road bridge across the Worth.

The panel agreed detailed negotiations over how the work will be done, should be left to the director of transportation, design and planning, Alan Mainwaring.

l Woodland off Bradford Road, in Sandbeds, will continue to be safeguarded by a Tree Protection Order (TPO).

The panel voted to overrule objections to the original order, which was imposed last September.