Plans for a multi-million pound hi-tech science park in Cottingley have suffered a set-back after planners deferred a decision.

Businessman Donald Jaggar, of property company Cox 22 Ltd, Bingley, has been thwarted once again in his bid to get development underway at Cottingley Mills in Bradford Old Road.

Planning officers had recommended approval of a full application for the refurbishment of existing offices and the erection of new offices under phase one of the development.

But Shipley Area Planning Panel, which met yesterday, voted to defer the application after concerns were expressed about the creation of a new access road to serve phase two. Members were also worried about what sort of commercial activity would be taking place in phase two, given that the site is in a quiet residential area.

Last year Mr Jaggar proposed a different scheme, worth £3 million, which would have created up to 200 jobs. The plans for industrial units were initially rejected and eventually passed in an amended form to take account of residents' concerns about noise, traffic problems and appearance of the units.

But he then had second thoughts, went back to the drawing board and came up with a plan for a hi-tech science park, which was discussed yesterday.

Councillor Simon Cooke (Con, Bingley Rural) told the panel: "The site is close to a busy junction and the planned access road is going to add to what is a particularly difficult situation. We should also have a landscaping scheme with the application, not wait for it sometime down the line. We have been caught out by this before.

"I don't think we should approve it until the implications of contamination on the site and the landscaping scheme are known."

Details of the contamination had yet to be disclosed by Bradford Council's minerals department, though it would have to be removed from the site, said Peter Bridgman, Shipley's senior planning officer.

Mr Jaggar said afterwards: "It's a drastic blow because we are waiting to build. It has been put off and put off. It's absolutely ludicrous.

''We have a builder lined up and the site is in a mess. We just want to get on with it.''