residents fighting plans for a development near a flood plain have reignited their campaign after heavy rain washed through the town.

Plans for 120 new homes to be built in Sykes Lane by developer Taylor-Wimpey outraged residents across Silsden when they first heard of the application.

Now, after flooding hit the town in January, a Silsden town councillor has asked Bradford Council to lobby the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister to call in the application.

At the latest Silsden Town Council meeting, Councillor Chris Atkinson said: "Right now we are at a stalemate.

"Bradford Council has said you can build as long as the Environment Agency has said you can and the Environment Agency isn't going to say anything. I say, let the Government deal with it."

Bradford Council gave permission for the development to go ahead on August 2, 2007, provided that the Environment Agency reaffirmed its advice that the land was safe to build on.

But a resident who lives opposite the site, Jeff Moore, has submitted photographs to the Keighley News following the recent flooding showing pools of surface water on the proposed site. They also show water rising up the canalside and spilling over on to the towpath, which he says is a clear sign of potential flooding.

Rex Whiteoak, who lives in Millfields, opposite the site, agreed. He said: "More than once since I have lived down this lane the canal has actually flooded. What happens is the water cannot get away and so lifts over the top of the canal and at a certain point it runs down into Sykes Lane.."

Tony Paget, who also lives in Millfields, said: "The water came very close to overflowing on to the towpath and this level of rain according to experts is to be the norm rather than a one-off event."

But a spokesman for British Waterways said the issues of flooding which occurred in January would have been considered in the comments made by the Environment Agency as part of the consultation process with the planning committee.

He added: "In addition to the housing provision, the developer has agreed to carry out a number of improvements to the canalside, including strengthening the retaining wall, resurfacing the towpath and enhancing signage and lighting, which will benefit local residents and visitors."

In response to images of surface water on the proposed site, Martin Slater, team leader for planning at the Environment Agency, said the Sykes Lane site was in a Zone One flooding risk area - the highest risk of flooding is Zone Three.

He said: "We have to assess the risk of flooding when we get planning applications, and this is in the lowest zone possible and we have issued measures to deal with surface water flow.

"The development has to be built a foot above the surface level, which will mean it shouldn't flood."

Mr Slater said that unless anyone came forward with evidence that the beck was somehow connected to the canal, he had no reason to reconsider the advice given to Bradford Council.

The council, meanwhile, said that a flood risk assessment and a drainage assessment were submitted as part of the planning application for residential development at Sykes Lane and "full consideration was given to flood risk when the application was considered in August last year".