CRAVEN District Council is poised to release council-owned land to build affordable homes for local people.

Land between the Horse Close estate in Skipton and the Leeds-Liverpool Canal is likely to be developed as a site for affordable housing to buy and to rent.

The council is hoping that the development will also include an equal amount of houses for sale on the open market.

Members of the council's performance and resources committee approved in principle the disposal of the site.

However their recommendations have to be confirmed by full council on Tuesday April 5.

Skipton councillor Marcia Turner said: "I am really worried about this. Five or six years ago I really fought for this green field site."

She said that she did not think she could support the proposal because local green field areas were slowly being nibbled away. "I do think that Skipton is being targeted as a dumping ground for anything that is wanted in Craven," she said.

Coun Mark Wheeler, who sits on the council's local needs housing review group, said: "I think we need to support this."

Coun Robert Heseltine, who represents the Skipton South ward, said: "Providing for the young families has to be our greatest concern and a priority for this council. If we do not do it, nothing will be provided."