GARNETT'S future in Wharfedale has been plunged into doubt after planners refused to give the paper firm a "critical" quick answer.

Leeds Plans Panel (West) praised the proposed mixed use, residential, leisure and business redevelopment of the Otley company's 15 acre riverside site when they first saw details in early December.

But last week the panel decided there were too many outstanding issues, particularly concerning access, drainage and possible impact on wildlife, for outline approval to be granted.

Instead, Chairman Councillor Colin Campbell (Lib Dem, Otley and Yeadon) successfully argued that a decision be deferred until more detail on the problem areas had been provided - which could take months.

Garnett's Chairman Mahendra Mehta had warned that if no decision was made before 2006 it might prevent the business's planned relocation to Pool in Wharfedale.

In a written statement Mr Mehta claimed failure to get a decision could "potentially...lead to the closure of the mill complex in Otley and significant job losses."

After the meeting Garnett's Managing Director Cliff Barry echoed those concerns. He said: "We're disappointed. We have jobs to secure and the longer this process takes the more difficult it is to know what we should do.

"I was under the impression that after taking up space at Whiteleys in Pool and committing to the area you'd expect the support would be forthcoming for us to get on and do these things, but instead we're still in limbo.

"I have no personal interest in the development, my interest is the trading company, that's what I'm MD of. But I need funds from the development to get on and secure things and until that's resolved I'm finding it increasingly difficult to know what to do next.

"We're not rolling over for anyone and are working very hard to get the business into a successful position."

The urgency of the situation was not lost on some panel members, including Councillor Brian Jennings. He said: "The devil's in the detail but we're getting bogged down in the detail.

"There's nobody who doesn't want this and doesn't see it as a good thing, I'm sure the details can be sorted out.

"I'd like to propose that we do not send these applicants away again without a decision."

But planning officer Christine Naylor said there were major sticking points - including the fact that the main proposed access from Pool Road would create a low route on a flood plain.

English Nature, who say there is evidence of reptiles, bats and otters using the site, are also insisting that full wildlife surveys - which can only be carried out in the summer - are completed.

Coun Campbell said: "This is a big development and there's a lot of detail in it...but it will have a big impact on Otley and we need to get the detail right."

Turning to the flood plain/access, he said: "I don't want to say we should refuse this because they haven't got that sorted out. But by the time we've gone down the list there are nearly 40 things we're not sure about on this site yet, that's too many.

"We can say to the developers that in principle we accept they wish to develop the site and we're happy with the range of facilities they are looking at."

Mr Barry responded: "It's reassuring that Coun Campbell had the courage to make that comment but ultimately what we need is someone saying 'we're going to approve the scheme'."

lThe plan would see a mixture of homes, offices, a restaurant and hotel, surgery and nursery built on site.

Surveyor to site owners Otley Riverside Holdings, Richard Whitehorn, said: "We are very disappointed as it was our view that having worked up the scheme with city planners, and incorporated all the uses they wanted, any outstanding issues could be resolved through reserved matters. This process has been going on for 18 months to ensure a completely agreed application."

The 30 (not 40) conditions that officers want to place on the planning consent are quite normal for an application of this complexity."

Mr Whitehorn added that the English Nature objection had resulted from a small change in Government guidance, and that extensive wildlife and ecological reports had already been submitted.

He also said the Environment Agency had withdrawn its standard objection after design discussions had taken place into how the access, site drainage and so on would be dealt with.

He said: "As the city council is unwilling to adopt any road in a floodplain we are keeping this as a private road, although many roads in Otley are within the floodplain."

"There would always be dry access to the site for cars and pedestrians even in the event of a 'one in 100 years' flood."