House builders have warned that Bradford workers could abandon the district because of a huge shortfall in the number of homes built in the next decade.

Developers say Bradford Council's plans for the next 15 years will leave the area with 4,000 fewer homes than is needed.

The claim was made by house builders making their case against the Council's Unitary Development Plan - the building blueprint for the next 15 years - during a public inquiry.

The Council estimates in the proposed UDP that 1,390 homes will need to be built each year for the life of the plan. The current plan estimated 2,100 a year, but only 1,100 a year have been built.

Michael Courcier, representing Redrow Homes (Yorkshire) Ltd, said restrictions on house building would force people out of Bradford to live in North Yorkshire and commute daily into the city.

Eamonn Keogh, on behalf of Accommodate UK and Green Emmott Trust, said they believed the proposals would create a shortfall of 4,000 homes.

The UDP proposes protecting as much green belt land from the developers as possible, with homes built on already used "brown field" or in-fill sites and in old mills and other developments.

Jim Johnsone, regional planner of the North of England House Builders' Federation, said the plan failed to recognise benefits of green field developments. Large detached homes should not go into in-fill sites but existing developments in plusher parts of the district, where they encourage mixed communities. He claimed large green field developments took pressure off more sensitive locations and had their own schools, shops, health facilities and services.

Yesterday was the first time the inquiry - which is expected to cost £1 million and last until June - saw a round-table discussion at Victoria Hall, Saltaire, with developers, Council representatives and Government inspectors, led by Cliff Hughes.

Skipton Properties Ltd; Redrow Homes (Yorkshire) Ltd; Clays Construction; Alfred McAlpine Developments; Eric Breare; Bodycote Developments; Bodycote Developments and John Ogden Properties; David Wilson Homes; Accommodate UK and the Green Emmott; Taywood and Bryant Homes were among objectors represented.

Dozens of groups are set to back the Council's plan to protect green belt, including the Greenhill Action Group against building at Sty Lane, Micklethwaite and protestors from Jenny Lane, Baildon. Residents from Silsden also oppose further development, including large numbers of homes and a bypass.

Developers warned they would have to build on green belt because the market for housing in inner-cities in the district was "cool and weak."

They claimed it could take five years to hot up, even though an Urban Regeneration Company is being set up. The firms said huge amounts of Government funding would be needed to bring some sites into use.

Mr Hughes and three colleagues will deal with 7,000 objections, relating to 700 issues and 100 sites.