A vision to build a £30 million superschool on green belt land in Ben Rhydding has stumbled at the first planning hurdle.

Ilkley Parish Council’s plans committee has recommended that outline planning permission for a new £30 million Ilkley Grammar School is refused, saying that the special circumstances needed to breach green belt preservation have not been met.

It also raised concerns over pedestrian safety around the proposed site off Wheatley Lane and the impact of increased traffic on residents.

Its recommendation will now be forwarded to district planners, who are expected to discuss the application in the summer.

Four out of seven councillors on the committee voted against the proposal following a public consultation meeting in Ilkley last week.

Objections had included increased traffic, loss of green belt and large pupil numbers. Supporters believe it is the only option to modernise the school infrastructure.

Most committee members agreed that the case for breaching green belt land had not been met, with some describing supporting documents as “weak”.

Coun Brian Mann, vice-chairman of the parish council, said: “I don’t think that they have made the case but I wish they had.”

Afterwards, plans committee chairman Andrew McKie said the decision had not been an easy one but added: “I am absolutely confident that the committee made the correct decision and it is absolutely right that children should come first, which I believe our decision supports in view of both their surroundings and their personal safety as young vulnerable pedestrians.”

Thanking those who had expressed their views, he said: “Whilst being perhaps beyond the scope of the current planning application, it was also very clear from both the public meeting and written correspondence alike that Ilkley residents would like to have their say on the number and size of schools serving Wharfedale in the future and would also like to be better consulted on all the available options in view of any future school development proposals, with the re-use of existing school sites, existing brownfield sites and other brownfield sites which may become available due to other significant planning applications being given serious consideration.”

Ilkley Grammar School headteacher Gillian James, who attended the meeting, said she was pleased by the positive tone. “The support for the design and the location was very encouraging.

Understandably, at this outline stage of planning, there is concern over the green belt justification and highways issue, particularly pedestrian safety.

We fully sympathise with these concerns and consultants are working to resolve these issues and provide us with all the assurances we need.”

Welcoming the decision, a spokesman for Wharfedale Action Group said: “WAG would like to support the grammar school in its aspiration to find a solution which would solve the educational needs of Wharfe Valley without destroying one of its most precious resources and the thing which makes Ilkley so special - it’s setting in the green belt.”