Speaking immediately after the first decision to reject the whole scheme, Ian Bell from the Chamber of Commerce said the decision was a "grim day and a lost opportunity for Bath".

"We had the opportunity to get a sixty-odd million project to give a big signal to people outside that Bath is really open for business and a go-ahead city and what have we got? Bath doesn't want to put a few bits of road across a few people's gardens," said Mr Bell.

"It's the old story - every time we see developments in Bath there are so many vociferous articulate people and they come out in their hordes and explain why it can't happen and Bath is starting to be the 'no-can-do' city.

"The £62m will go into Gordon Brown's big treasury bucket and Bath will be at the back of the queue for the next bus for a long time," he said.

Campaigners against the plans were jubilant at first.

"I was feeling absolutely elated and proud to be a Bath citizen," said Ishbal Tovey.

U-turn

"I was delighted the council had made a very brave decision but now I'm not quite sure what happened and we're reduced to fighting this scheme yet again.

"This scheme is ridiculous because it will provide no benefit to the citizens of Bath as well as ruining a beautiful green corridor," she said.

Within minutes of announcing that the scheme had been rejected Bath and North East Somerset Council changed its mind.

In a statement it said: "Bath and North East Somerset Council's Development Control Committee has discussed the remaining application related to the Bath Transportation Package.

"The Committee resolved to not determine the application and requested that it be brought back to a future meeting of the Development Control Committee. No date for the meeting has yet been set."