DEVELOPERS should be allowed to build on land currently in the green belt as soon as possible, a prominent planning consultancy has said.

Barton Willmore, which represents a number of major developers, said the district had a severe housing shortage which wouldn’t be eased until Bradford Council earmarked new sites for development.

But the controversial call has alarmed those fighting to protect as much of the green belt as possible as Bradford Council draws up its long-term planning blueprint.

The council approved a key part of this plan, the core strategy, last month.

It sets out roughly where 42,100 homes, including around 11,000 on the green belt, should be built before 2030.

But Barton Willmore is concerned that it could be up to four years before specific sites are earmarked for development.

The firm represented four developers – Persimmon, Keyland, Harworth and Chartford Homes – when a Government planning inspector held a public examination of the core strategy in 2015.

Persimmon is building a controversial development of more than 120 homes on a greenfield site in Occupation Lane, Keighley.

Residents living close to the site and councillors vehemently fought against the proposals, claiming the plot was unsuitable and voicing fears about increased traffic levels.

More than 150 objections were lodged.

Bradford councillors rejected the scheme, but the Planning Inspectorate subsequently overturned the decision on appeal.

Among those who opposed the development was district ward councillor, Brian Morris.

He said this week that builders shouldn't touch green belt land.

"There are more than enough brownfield sites in the district and developers should be made to use these," said Cllr Morris.

James Hall, a partner at Barton Willmore, said: “It’s now vitally important that council resources are focused on the allocations plan – which will determine sites where developers can bring forward much-needed new homes to meet demand.

“The council must look at the release of green belt sites to do this. The current indication that this process might take four years is concerning as such a delay will seriously affect delivery of housing for Bradford and the surrounding area.”

Cllr Alex Ross-Shaw, the council's portfolio holder for regeneration, transport and planning, said no timetable had yet been set for the land allocation process.

He said: “Obviously it takes time to do the site allocations properly. Now we have the core strategy, we are working on a detailed timetable for the site allocation. Much of this timetable is dictated by Government guidelines. No completion date has therefore been announced yet.”