Residents and local councillors have won their fight against plans to build 74 houses on a greenfield site off Green Lane, Glusburn.

A planning inspector has dismissed an appeal by Muir Group Housing Association, which sought to overturn a decision by Craven District Council to refuse a planning application for the development.

But the council decided not to defend the appeal because of “procedural errors” while processing the application.

Instead, it was left up to individual councillors and residents to put forward the case against the proposed houses. One of the main issues was whether the district had a five-year supply of housing land available without using sites outside current development limits.

In dismissing the appeal, inspector Jacqueline North said: “My overall conclusions are that while the council has not demonstrated that it has a five-year supply of deliverable land for housing, I am not satisfied that there are no other more sequentially favourable sites available.”

She said the development of housing on the site would be contrary to the Regional Spatial Strategy (RSS) Policy YH7, which identified the hierarchy for the location of developments with priority given to previously developed land and building.

“In addition the proposal would result in harm to the character and appearance of the area and would conflict with the aims of local planning policies which seek to protect the countryside and landscape character,” she said.

Ward councillor Philip Barrett (Ind, Glusburn) said: “I, along with many local residents, am absolutely delighted with the dismissal of this appeal.

“It’s been a tortuous process and has taken a large amount of my time since last June but I’m pleased to say it’s paid dividends.

“The grounds of dismissal have potentially important consequences for the location of future planned development on greenfield sites in South Craven and indeed across the district.”

He added: “At the conclusion of the planning inquiry the inspector accepted an application for costs and made it clear that whatever the outcome Craven District Council would have some costs awarded against it to the appellant, Muir Housing, due to the procedural errors that had occurred in processing the application.”