A HOUSING developer wants 16 acres of land in Menston removing from the green belt to provide room for more than 250 new houses.

Bryant Homes Northern Limited has challenged Bradford planners at the Unitary Development Plan (UDP) public inquiry.

Department of the Environment inspector Cliff Hughes has been told that Bradford Council has not provided enough housing land in its planning blueprint for the next 15 years.

And land that has been safeguarded for future development in the UDP should be replaced by the Menston site, according to Bryant Homes.

The developer wants the site, between Bradford/Otley Road, the railway line and Ellar Ghyll, allocated immediately as housing land or 'safeguarded' land for development in phase two of the UDP.

Planning consultant Paul Bedwell told the inquiry, at Victoria Hall, Saltaire, that there were exceptional circumstances for removing the land from the green belt.

He said: "No housing allocations or safeguarded land has been identified within the settlement of Menston in the revised deposit UDP."

He said that the site would be capable of accommodating 266 houses, 40 per cent of which would have to be 'affordable housing' according to Bradford Council planning regulations for Wharfedale.

"Development of the site would contribute significantly to the delivery of affordable housing in this part of Wharfedale," said Mr Bedwell.

He also said that the development proposals, including a purpose-built junction of an access road with Otley road, would not have a significant impact on the adjacent highway network.

Another planning consultant acting for Bryant Homes, Frank Fawcett, told the inquiry that development on the site would not harm the landscape setting of Menston village.

According to Bradford Council, there has only been one objection to the site remaining in the green belt while 98 letters of support have been received.

Supporters claim that development of the site would lead to a 'great loss' to the environment, harm wildlife, help to merge the settlements of Otley and Menston, and is unwanted by village residents.

Bradford planner Isha Ahmed said: "The site is allocated as green belt in the replacement plan. The council has demonstrated that there are no exceptional circumstances for removing the site from the green belt and that the area serves important green belt purposes.

"Therefore the inspector is respectfully requested to make no modifications to the replacement plan in response to the objections in this instance."

The inquiry is due to be completed at the end of June and the inspector is expected to publish his report next year.