The battle for a ground-breaking sustainable community' at Ilkley's former Middleton Hospital site is to take place in Harrogate in January.

A Government planning inspector will hear the appeal by Ilkley's Mark and Janet Sayer against Harrogate Borough Council's rejection of the scheme in a public inquiry at the Council Offices at Crescent Gardens, starting on Tuesday, January 22.

Mr and Mrs Sayer previously bought and developed the historic Myddelton Lodge as a family home, but plan to move to one of the 16 homes proposed for the 57-acre hospital site on Carters Lane if the development is agreed.

Their plan for a self-contained mix of housing, offices and community facilities, complete with landscaping, a nature conservation project and eco-friendly power, more than halved the number of houses put forward for the land by other developers.

But in a surprise move late last year, Harrogate Council ruled housing should never be allowed on the site of the former TB sanatorium - contradicting the council's earlier stance that some housing was inevitable'.

The Sayers lodged their appeal against the decision in February. Mr Sayer believes the development's environmentally-friendly credentials and design would inspire housing developments of the future.

Written representations sent to the Planning Inspectorate before April 9 will be taken into account at the hearing, and people who attend on the first day of the inquiry can put their name forward, and ask to speak at the inspector's discretion.

The original plans for the site, and the appellants grounds of appeal can be inspected at the Planning Enquiries department at Harrogate Borough Council's offices.

Pre-inquiry statements from the Sayers and from the council will be made available before the appeal, and proofs of evidence will be available for inspection less than four weeks prior to the inquiry's start date.