A developer has won approval to build more homes at the expense of apartments in a major Keighley scheme.

Skipton Properties said the change to its original plans was needed to cope with a slow down in the housing market.

It has been given the go-ahead to build another 23 houses at Grove Mills, Ingrow.

The firm - which won planning approval for the major housing development in 2006 - is reducing the number of apartments from 354 to 197.

And to cope with an anticipated increased demand for family homes, the company is boosting the number of proposed houses from 53 to 76.

It applied for the 23 extra homes in three separate applications, all of which faced opposition from residents.

Proposals for a single additional three-storey house off Damems Road met with 19 objection letters from people who said it should not be viewed in isolation from the rest of the site.

Resident Abigail Nelson said the new property would overlook her garden.

Plans for 13 new houses - including three in Damems Road and 10 more on land to the north west - provoked 16 objection letters from nine households.

Cllr Malcolm Slater, speaking at last Thursday's Keighley Area Planning Panel meeting on behalf of those objecting, said the state of the housing market was not in itself adequate justification for planning permission.

"The answer is not to build more houses but not to build them at all, or to wait a couple of years then apply again," he said.

Resident Anne McGrath said the plans for the three extra houses in Damems Road were "opportunistic".

She said the parking situation in the area meant a full highways report was needed before any decision could be made.

Plans for nine new houses on the southern end of the Grove Mills site faced 26 letters of objection.

Resident Maggie Boyle said the application meant Skipton Properties had reneged on a previous promise not to further expand the Grove Mills development.

Cllr Slater said the potential damage to the environment would outweigh any regeneration gains.

The agent for the developer, Jo Steel, speaking in support of all three applications, pointed out the reduction in the number of apartments meant there would actually be fewer homes overall being built in Grove Mills.

He said the single proposed house would be 38 metres from the closest neighbouring property.

He said the application for 13 houses would site them on "under utilised" land. He noted the three houses on Damems Road would have their own off-street parking.

Following a site visit, the planning panel approved all three applications.