Shipley MP Philip Davies has invited Cabinet minister Eric Pickles to return to his Airedale roots and visit Micklethwaite before deciding the fate of the Sty Lane housing development.

The final decision on building on the greenfield site was referred back to the Government by the High Court to be dealt with by Mr Pickles, a former leader of Bradford Council and now the Communities and Local Government Secretary.

Speaking in House of Commons, Mr Davies promised Mr Pickles a warm welcome if he ventures up North to refresh his memory of the area.

“A proposed housing development in Micklethwaite in my constituency was rightly rejected by Bradford Council. The appeal was rightly rejected by the planning inspector and that decision was upheld by the Secretary of State,” Mr Davies told the House.

“The courts have sent it back to him for redetermination. May I urge him to stick to his guns and reject that unwanted planning application?”

Then, to the amusement of MPs, Mr Davies extended the hand of Yorkshire friendship to Keighley’s long-lost son.

“If he wants to come back to Micklethwaite to reacquaint himself with the area and see how inappropriate the application is, he will be welcomed by local residents,” said Mr Davies, followed by a ripple of laughter around the benches.

Mr Pickles, who recently spoke of the joy of Essex on BBC Radio 4’s Desert Island Discs answered simply: “I know Mickelthwaite well, but we will consider the matter in a quasi-judicial way. We will ensure that the views of the residents of Micklethwaite and the Council are give due weight and I hope to announce my decision in the near future.”

Speaking before their exchange, Mr Davies said of the latest pdevelopment: “I don’t see how anybody who sees the site in question can dispute that it is an inappropriate place for a housing development on every single level.”