PLANS for a development of cottages in a village conservation area have been given the green light.

An application to build a terrace of five cottages at Longridge, off Dockroyd Lane, Oakworth, was submitted to Bradford Council by S Wilkinson and S Hume earlier this year.

Now the council's Keighley and Shipley Area Planning Panel has approved the scheme.

A report to the panel meeting said the land was considered a "key open space" in Oakworth Conservation Area, and that the last assessment of the area in 2005 said it was important the space and other fields remained undeveloped.

But the report recommended the plans be approved, adding "care has been taken to design a development that is appropriate to its context within the conservation area".

It said the development would include an area of open public space.

Worth Valley councillor Chris Herd told the meeting: "It's not green belt, and the cottages are in keeping with the area and will be out of the way. This plan doesn't look too bad to me."

Keighley Town Council had recommended refusal and there had been ten objections to the application, but none of the objectors were present at the panel meeting.