THOUSANDS of Silsden campaigners are celebrating this week after winning a 10-year battle against "Big Brother" to develop in the town.

Inspectors of Bradford Council's Unitary Development Plan (UDP), published this week, recommended the town should be a lower priority for development and that most of the potential development sites should be protected.

Silsden Town Action Group (STAG) was set up in 1993 to co-ordinate the town's response to the plan, stating it could not cope with the potential 2,500 new homes. It also objected to a new bypass and a junior school.

Silsden councillor Chris Atkinson said: "There will be a lot of upset developers this week, but the plans weren't going to do us any favours.

"This is one battle we have won against Big Brother."

Michael Elsmore, deputy mayor of Silsden, said: "It is brilliant, it is excellent news. I think at last somebody has listened to the people of Silsden. It means the character of the town won't change."

But executive member for the environment on Bradford Council, Coun Anne Hawkesworth, added: "The report accepts the local community's arguments against significant development in Silsden. While this will please many of the residents it does, however, put into question whether Silsden will ever have a bypass and reduce the possibilities of other infrastructure improvements."

Addingham was also among the winners.

Manor Garth and the Saw Mill site within the village have been recommended as protected development sites, which means they cannot be developed in the short term - though they could be called upon in 10 years or so.

Southfield Farm remains in the green belt and a vast area of open land to the north of the town has also been allocated as green belt.

Gordon Campbell, chairman of Addingham Parish Council, said: "We are quite delighted. We were pleased with the original submissions and really pleased that the inspectors have agreed to the original proposals."

The nine-month-long public hearing last year, which cost Bradford Council more than £1 million, has concluded that much of the district's undeveloped land should be protected.

Government inspectors dealt with about 7,000 objections to the UDP, which shapes how the district will look over the next 15 years and examined 700 separate issues - the majority of which were about using fields for housing.

The report will now be considered by Bradford Council and be subject to further public consultation before its recommendations are adopted.