Plans for up to 200 new homes in Scissett have been backed.

Kirklees councillors granted outline consent for Redrow to develop provisional open land off Pilling Lane.

When the show of hands was revealed in favour of development, residents warned of a Judicial Review.

It comes after a turbulent year for planning in Kirklees – the same committee had previously rejected the same application.

Fearing an appeal – listed for January – and having a similar appeal rule against them this week, they backed the application second time around.

A deputation from the Rev Philip Reynolds, who sought a deferral for the council and objectors to consider a recent High Court ruling elsewhere, was ruled out by the chairman.

Councillors were told by Vanessa Redfern, the council’s legal officer, that it would not back the Kirklees cause.

Then 15 residents spoke to urge the planning committee members to reject the application – traffic, flooding, drainage, sustainability, education, infrastructure and access issues were all raised as concerns.

Flooding and drainage were a major concern with one resident, Ian Hutchinson, a chartered surveyor, saying: “To use the existing 300mm drain that runs across the site, that was never intended for 300 new homes (the 200, plus an extra 100 already approved and built) cannot be justified.”

Phil Grosvenor said existing schools were “already full or in excess of capacity”.

Linda Healey added: “Once the countryside is gone, it is gone forever.”

But Clr Paul Kane, chairman of the committee, said: “There is no reason to defer, there is no reason to refuse because all the issues we raised last time have been dealt with.”

Clr Graham Turner, Labour Denby Dale, disagreed and said it was “sheer madness” to add traffic to the existing infrastructure.

Clr Kane added: “I have sympathy with the residents. The policy is out of our hands. We’ve been stifled as a committee and other political bodies are playing football with this.

“I feel we’ve no alternative but to accept this application.”

The committee voted eight against five in favour of the outline plans.