Only Menston residents will be able to live in new affordable housing in a former day centre development which has been approved.

The Heather Court development, in St Peter's Way, Menston, was passed by Shipley Planning Panel last Thursday.

But it had three planning conditions placed on it.

l The 13 affordable houses being built will only be available for people living in the village.

l A 200-year-old wall will remain

l The buildings facing Main Street will be built in natural stone.

Councillor Chris Greaves is happy that the community has gained some of the improvements it was fighting for.

"The development was appro-ved with a few conditions on it. When it comes to affordable housing the panel said it wanted it to be for local people only.

"I am delighted that the residents of Menston who are starting off in life will benefit from the affordable housing.

"The wall has to stay. It must remain as a dry stone wall but it will be moved back a bit.

"The buildings on to Main Street have to be made of natural stone and the rest of it can be artificial stone but nothing like the examples handed to the planners.

"They will have to give us £50,000 for recreation, which ward councillors will have input into how it is spent.

"We have already got lots of ideas from local residents about how it should be used and I expect we will get lots more.

"Overall it is still a bit dense I do not think we have done too badly. We have got some good improvements which were worth fighting for.

"I am certain the hundreds of people who wrote letters of objection, Ilkley Parish Council and Menston Community Asso-ciation got a better deal and it was worth doing."

Persimmon Homes will be building 54 homes on the site, including 38 flats, 13 affordable housing association flats and three town houses. It will be demolishing the existing building. Councillor Audrey Brand said: "I am very pleased that the affordable housing will go to people from Menston.

"This is something I have campaigned hard for because Menston really needs it."

Ilkley Parish Council and more than 200 people objected to the development on three counts. A 303-named petition was also submitted.

The objections were -

l That the site is being overdeveloped.

l The three-storey building is unsuitable.

l The development has a poor design and access.

The developer will be reducing problems caused by school traffic by implementing a 20mph zone along the entire length of St Peter's Way and improving street lighting.

It will provide four ramped pedestrian crossings, dedicated lay-bys for parents to park in, a new bus stop and wider footpaths.

Some willow trees will be lost by the development but hornbeam, lime and birch trees will remain with preservation orders on them.