Overjoyed campaigners are celebrating after councillors scuppered a re-worked plan to cover a greenfield site in 292 homes.

Hallam Land Management hoped to head-off a planning inquiry into its scheme for Pitty Beck, near Allerton Lane, Bradford, by putting forward fresh proposals for the site including road improvements and affordable housing.

The original plan is due to go to an inquiry in November.

But Bradford councillors found there were still three major grounds to refuse the new application: an offer of five instead of 15 per cent affordable housing, a contribution of only £237,833 instead of the desired £1,192,517 towards improving schools, and no offer of Metro assistance to any residents.

Councillor Doreen Lee (Lab, Keighley East) told yesterday’s regulatory and appeals committee: “This is a greenfield site and there is not employment value to Bradford. I’m not happy with it.”

Councillor Imran Khan (Lab, Bowling and Barkerend) agreed: “I’m not happy with this either. The amounts being offered are not sufficient due to the stresses it will put on the area.”

Chairman David Warburton (Lab, Wyke) said he was concerned with the gap between the amount requested for education and what Hallam was prepared to provide.

The developers had hoped to convince councillors to vote in favour by submitting a separate proposal to improve a notorious stretch of Allerton Lane by widening it and footpath improvements.

They did vote to approve the better road but not the development.

David Hemsley, chairman of Friends of Pitty Beck, an action group against the plan, said: “I’m delighted because this decision means the original application is now still going on to appeal as before. Then it will be up to the Government inspector to finish things off.”