Ben Rhydding has won special status which could protect the area from high-density housing developments and out-of-character new buildings.

Bradford Council's Keighley Area Committee has agreed to make Ben Rhydding a conservation area as a place with special historic and architectural features.

Now that councillors have adopted the principle, council planners will immediately be able to use the status to block new proposals for developments they believe will harm the character of the area.

And it is also hoped that Ben Rhydding's conservation area will pave the way for a similar protected status in Middleton.

Conservation area status for Ben Rhydding, Middleton and a revamp of the Ilkley Conservation Area were among proposals by Ilkley Design Statement Group, and were echoed in the final Ilkley Design Statement document, which presented the views of local residents on the town's future.

Ilkley Civic Society put forward proposals for a conservation area in 1998. The Ilkley Conservation Area has already been re-designed, and Ilkley Design Statement Group welcomed last week's decision on Ben Rhydding.

Chairman, David Cartwright, said: "The council's conservation team deserves the thanks of all who care for the character of Ilkley.

"The Design Statement also proposes a conservation area for Middleton. We hope the council will now press ahead as quickly as possible with measures to preserve Middleton's character also."

The protected area of Ben Rhydding covers an area from Manley Road and Ben Rhydding Primary School, to the railway station and Wheatley Gardens.

A Member of Keighley Area Committee, and an Ilkley ward councillor, Martin Smith (Con), also welcomed the adoption of the Ben Rhydding as a conservation area.

He said: "The debate was supported by the chairman of the parish council and chairman of the Ilkley Civic Society and myself. The whole situation of conservation areas is under continual review. In the meantime, it will be a useful tool for the planners to throw in the face of rapacious developers.

"It does give a lot of weight to the planners. There's been a consultation and there's been a process of legalisation as it's gone through the council."

Councillor Smith said conservation areas were needed to protect the Ilkley area from Government planning policy guidance brought in in 2000 - encouraging greater numbers of houses to be built on development sites. He said such guidance was not suitable for Ilkley, as it encourages the demolition of large houses and their replacement with a number of smaller houses on the same site. He believes Ben Rhydding now has protection against this.

Coun Smith is also looking towards having a conservation area introduced in Middleton, but says taking into account the varying types of housing in Middleton, and putting together a sufficiently strong case, could take a longer time.

Council officers have now been asked to draw up draft supplementary planning guidance for retaining original features of Ben Rhydding, guidance for shop fronts, the promotion of good quality new design and guidance on the repair and maintenance of buildings.

This will be put forward for Bradford Council's next Unitary Development Plan - the official local authority document which sets out its planning policies for the district.