Campaigners fighting a 220-home development in Steeton have been given fresh hope the site could be preserved as a village green following a High Court ruling on a similar case in Leeds.

Leeds Group’s attempt to overturn Leeds City Council’s decision to designate Yeadon Banks as a village green was rejected by the High Court this month.

Now, Steeton residents Shona Cole and Joanne Stokes have applied to Bradford Council to register fields off Thornhill Road as a village green to save them from development.

Housebuilder Redrow received planning permission to build on the site in September, despite more than 300 objections.

Mrs Cole said: “This is good news and it gives us hope our application will be successful.

“If the land was built on it would change the community. We would have no green space left for recreation and nowhere for children to play safely.”

The Commons Act 2006 states that land can be registered as a town or village green where “a significant number of the inhabitants of any locality, or of any neighbourhood within a locality, have indulged as of right in lawful sports and pastimes on the land for a period of at least 20 years”.

If the Steeton application is accepted, the area allocated as a village green could not be built on regardless of any planning permission.

Mrs Cole added: “We know the land has been used for dog walking, kite flying, sledging and building snowmen. A local school has also done a nature trail on it and there are footpaths across it. We have got ten witnesses willing to testify at a public inquiry that they have used that land but we need as many people as possible to come forward with photos and statements.”

Leeds Group has until Friday to appeal the judge’s decision over Yeadon Banks to the Supreme Court.

Bradford Council is now waiting to see if Leeds Group appeals, and for the outcome of any appeal, before it decides whether to progress the Steeton application by holding a public inquiry.

Had the Court of Appeal ruled in favour of the developer in the Yeadon Banks case, the Thornhill Road application may have had to be refused by the Council without the need for a public inquiry because it is made on the same basis as at Yeadon Banks.

A Council spokesman said: “The Thornhill Road village green application has been on hold pending the Court of Appeal decision on the Yeadon Banks village green. Until the deadline has passed for that appeal to be lodged, no action will be taken on the pending Thornhill Road application.”

Redrow was unavailable for comment.