Egg farmer Peter Kitching is cracking on with celebrations after a people-power campaign to save his livelihood won the day.

Victory came after a proposal by developers Radical Properties Ltd to build ten houses with 22 parking spaces on land at Oak Bank Farm in Wrose was unanimously rejected by planners - despite planning officers recommending it be passed.

More than 2,500 villagers and customers signed petitions against Radical's bid and 47 letters of objection were sent in.

At today's planning meeting there was no word from the developers but plenty said by Mr Kitching's supporters.

Mr Kitching had feared his poultry business would be ruined and jobs lost if the outline application for the housing scheme got rubber-stamped.

He has been a tenant on the land for more than 30 years looking after 7,000 hens and selling around 35,000 eggs a week at markets across Yorkshire and from a trailer at Five Lane Ends.

An overjoyed Mr Kitching said: "It just goes to show what people power can achieve. It's a victory thanks to all my neighbours and customers, councillors and MP who supported me.

"There have been three attempts in the past to get permission to build on the land but they've never got as far as this. Hopefully there won't ever be anymore."

Neighbour Nigel Peck, who was worried the development would turn the quiet access lane into a busy thoroughfare putting local playing youngsters at risk, said: "The planners have made the right decision. I don't think they had any doubts about which way to go."

And ward councillor Phil Thornton said: "That land was unsuitable, unstable and undevelopable. The developer's proposals right from the start were flawed. There were huge issues over access, road safety, the loss of visual amenity and rights of way. They hadn't done their homework."

Oak Bank Farm is on land owned by two brothers and a sister who had agreed to sell to Radical Properties if the application was successful.

During the meeting parish councillor David Jessop told planners the former quarry site had once been used as a dumping ground by a Bradford chemical company and that there were worries about what "unknown substances" might be under it.

He said: "There have been bore hole tests done on that land by developers in the past and they wouldn't touch it with a ten foot barge pole."

He also said there were still plenty of other new houses up for sale in the area proving there was no demand for any more.