CONTROVERSIAL plans to build four new homes on land in Giggleswick said to have once been a municipal tip have been given the go ahead.

Despite strong objections from the parish council, the ward councillor, 44 letter writers and a 20 name petition, outline approval for the development off Station Road for Mr and Mrs Fell was allowed.

Ward councillor Richard Welch told Craven District Council’s planning committee on Monday it was the most ‘dangerous’ application he had seen in 18 years and urged councillors to go against officer advice, and reject the scheme.

He said as the site had once been a tip, it posed a safety risk and asked his fellow councillors if they would feel safe living in a house built there.

He further questioned recent reclassification by the Environment Agency of the site from a flood zone three to the lower two, and said there would be no benefit to the village - disputing officer advice that the council was not able to show a five year housing land supply.

Parish council vice chairman Raymond Jones, said two previous applications for the site had been refused and that the quota for new housing in the village had been met. He further raised concerns about flooding, highways issues and the loss of agricultural land.

Councillors were told development of the site would require diversion of an existing right of way. Access would be through a new gap in the roadside wall and it was considered a sustainable development, with easy access to both Giggleswick and Settle. The council was also not able to demonstrate a five year housing land supply - as highlighted in two recent planning appeals.

A move to refused the application by Cllr Welch, and seconded by Cllr Peter Madeley was lost, and councillors went on to approve the application by six-two.

Committee vice chairman, Cllr Ian Thompson, said he believed the small development would add to the mix of properties in the area, rather than 'estates of identical boxes'.

Following the concerns of councillors over the possible contamination of the land, the committee agreed a further condition requiring the applicant to have a remediation strategy put together and carried out - once it had been independently verified by the council.