AN 11th hour appeal by developers stopped planners from turning down a controversial housing plan for the Spen Valley.

Strata Homes' proposal for land off New Lane, Cleckheaton, was set to be recommended for refusal by Kirklees Council's planning committee at its latest meeting.

But the meeting heard that "new information" had come forward from the developer, leading the authority's legal team to recommend deferring discussing the application, which councillors agreed with. The matter is now set to be discussed next month.

Graeme Raisbeck, a local resident who has been at the forefront of a campaign to block the development, said: "It is good news but we are frustrated we did not get to the vote point.

"I don't want to count my chickens, but I think that the momentum is definitely with us. After initially seeming like the planning department was supporting it and councillors were behind it, there has been a change and I think they want to protect green space and they see that the public do not want to see field after field with houses on.

"Fingers crossed, we hope they will look at it in the next five weeks and make the right decision.

"The planning team has swung right behind us to recommend refusal on the grounds of it being Urban Green Space."

He added: "This is the precedent. If this one got through then other developers would see it as the green light for other developments in Kirklees green space."

Mr Raisbeck said the developer had offered to up the quota of affordable housing in the proposal, which forced the Council's hand.

But he added: "We think councillors have swung behind us as they realise that people don't want it.

"The big victory was the planning team coming out and recommending it be refused on the fact that it was green space."

The campaign to save the land started last October, with Mr Raisbeck claiming 58 out of 60 households near the site were opposed to the plans.

Strata Homes had submitted a planning application for 51 new homes, made up of two, three, four and five-bedroom properties.

In April, campaigners claimed a small victory after the number of proposed homes on the site was reduced by 12.