Villagers fighting plans to build a housing estate near their homes will get a fresh chance to have their case heard.

A public inquiry into an appeal by Cala Homes (Yorkshire) Ltd and Keyland Developments against Bradford Council's decision to refuse outline planning permission for a development on the former Baildon Bank Reservoir site is to be re-opened.

The move comes after it emerged some residents did not receive letters notifying them of the original hearing in January.

Those who did not speak at that hearing will now have a chance to put their case after the Planning Inspectorate took the rare step of deciding to re-open the inquiry.

The move has been welcomed by Shipley Labour MP Chris Leslie, who has been backing the West Lane Action Group's long-running campaign to save the site next to the green belt, and has raised complaints about the notification blunder.

The Council turned down the planning application last autumn because of the site's distance from local services and poor access to public transport. Bradford's Unitary Development Plan (UDP) designates the Yorkshire Water-owned site for housing, but its draft replacement UDP recommends delaying development till at least 2009.

The Council's position is supported by the action group, whose members fear up to 70 homes could be built, hitting their quality of life, increasing traffic and damaging the balance between Green Belt and developed land.

Mr Leslie said: "This has given us a rare opportunity to put our case a second time, and we have to make sure we take it and impress on the inspector just how serious our worries about traffic generation and the loss of green space are.''

A Council spokesman said: "Letters were sent from the Council - however it has become clear some interested Baildon residents did not receive them."

The public inquiry is to re-open at St John's Church Hall, Baildon, at 10am on Monday, April 29.