Campaigners' hopes of holding elections for a new Haworth parish council in May have been dashed after the Government revealed there is a backlog of applications.

With a pile of 59 applications on Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott's desk, Whitehall bosses reckon there will be a delay of at least three or four months.

Bradford Council's community development committee has backed the call for a parish council to represent Haworth, Stanbury and Cross Roads and is to urge Mr Prescott to give the go-ahead.

Haworth Combined Residents' Action Group member, Smith Midgley, who helped spearhead the campaign, said: "It is a big disappointment that a decision can't be made before May. It's a real smack in the eye. It looks like we will have to wait another year.''

He said Bradford Council was to send off the application this week and he hoped it would have been in time for Mr Prescott to give the go-ahead in his capacity as Environment Minister.

But Mr Midgley said he remained optimistic there would be a new parish council.

"It should not be a pressure group but an extension of local government. It would help bring back the opportunity for people to have their say from a grass roots level," he said.

"We should work with Bradford Council and its officers and if we do disagree about something then the differences should be resolved in a sensible way."

He said it was too early to say what issues the council might pursue but an important consideration would be where it would meet.

Local people campaigned from late autumn for a new council and a ballot was held earlier this month when 2,415 people voted in favour and only 186 against.

Worth Valley Councillor Mike Young (Lab) said he welcomed the decision and pledged to accompany a delegation to Whitehall to see Mr Prescott if it was necessary.

He hoped that district and parish councillors could work together and form partnerships. "There should be discussion and compromise in the best interest of local people," he said.

A spokesman for the Department of Environment said there were 59 other applications in the pipeline which would take three or four months to process.

"There is no chance that a decision can be returned in time for a May election," he said.

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