Villagers fighting to stop their community being swamped by new housing schemes have won a reprieve after the latest plans were withdrawn.

But Persimmon Homes (West Yorkshire) is still likely to build 66 houses on the former Yorkshire Water site off Warren Lane at Gilstead, having already had its scheme approved.

Approval was given last November by Bradford Council's Shipley area planning panel on condition the development does not begin until improvements to the sewage and drainage network are completed.

The latest application sought permission to begin work on part of the project before the sewage upgrades - included in Yorkshire Water's asset management plan and scheduled for completion by March 2004 - have been carried out.

An officers' report to yesterday's planning panel meeting recommended approval be granted, subject to conditions, but members were told the application had been withdrawn by Persimmon. Residents have said they fear the estate - together with another development for 274 homes on the opposite side of the road and the 150 houses already built next to Eldwick Primary School in Warren Lane - would overload the local sewage system, destroy the village's green spaces and cause traffic congestion.

Following the meeting, a spokesman for the Council's Shipley planning office said Persimmon had said it had now decided to abide by the original conditions and wait until the sewage system improvements had been completed before pressing ahead with the development.

Gilstead Village Society chairman David Briggs said: "We've already lost the battle but we are happy that this application's been withdrawn.

"It means they're not going to be able to start building until the drainage and sewage system has been upgraded by Yorkshire Water. It may be two, three or four years before that's done.''

Following the meeting Councillor Chris Greaves (Con, Rombalds) said: "I'm very pleased it's been withdrawn and I'm sure local residents will be breathing a sigh of relief at the moment.

"I'm pleased it hasn't gone ahead yet but I have a feeling that, like Arnold Schwarzeneg-ger, they'll be back.

"I am against the development but if it does happen we have to be absolutely sure that the sewage and drainage systems are safe, and we need cast iron guarantees that they'll work.''