Bradford's own visionary 20-year masterplan was launched two years ago, featuring radical changes to the city centre.

In order that the Aire Valley did not lag behind, the Airedale Partnership appointed consultant Arup to draw up its own masterplan for Airedale.

Although its plan does not include many of the grandiose designs featured in Bradford, the foresight for Airedale was described as ambitious but realistic by the men behind the scheme.

Those attending the launch event were equally impressed.

Cllr Simon Cooke, chairman of the Airedale Partnership, said: "This masterplan aims to build on the developments taking place and bring benefits to people and communities across the whole of Airedale.

"It highlights the key challenges facing the area, such as improving access to the region and international markets and raising skill and training levels to meet the needs of a diverse local economy.

"The plan is critical to realising the enormous potential of the area over the coming years."

The plan combines the proposals put forward by the first draft with ideas developed during nine months of public consultation.

The masterplan would take until 2020 to complete and would be implemented in three stages -- from 2005-2008, 2008-2012 and 2012-2020.

Using the rural landscape as the raw material, the projects are split into three sections -- a creative corridor, a connected corridor and a lifestyle corridor.

The projects include new town centre homes at Grove Mills, Dalton Mills and Gresley Road's Cotton Mill, a new sports stadium on Hard Ings Road, a multi-screen cinema, arts centre and retail development.

Road links would be improved on Hard Ings Road and Dalton Lane and a new station at Beechcliffe has been proposed.

Overall the plan could create up to 10,000 new jobs across the valley.

The plans were given the thumbs up by many of the people at the launch event, who agreed they were ambitious but realistic.

Cllr Andrew Mallinson, chairman of Keighley Area Committee, said: "I hope this has inspired businesses to think that the Airedale corridor is alive and is a place they want to sign up to.

"The only way we will grow is for businesses to knock on the door and say 'This is the place we want to be'.

"I do not think anyone can knock the presentation. It is positive and far-reaching. It is setting a benchmark for the Airedale corridor for the next 15 to 20 years.

"There are no quick wins in a scheme like this."

Town Mayor Cllr Allan Rhodes said: "I think it is very good with regard to what they want to do in Keighley.

"To commit the whole Aire Valley together as one package can only benefit all the communities."

He added that pressure needed to be maintained to ensure the plan was delivered.

Conservative prospective parliamentary candidate Karl Poulsen said: "It is achievable. It is a fantastic overview that the area could achieve.

"And the public consultation has been there, so to that extent it is the input of everyone in the area. As a local man I look forward to it happening."

But the plans disappointed Silsden town councillors, who hoped the village would be left free from further development.

Cllr Patricia Bottomley said: "It seems we are going ahead with the plans for the rural business park. We thought the Unitary Development Plan had stopped that.

"It is going to take an awful lot of green field land away."