The last Unitary Development Plan took huge chunks out of the green land that separates the individual towns and villages which make up the Bradford district. So it's small wonder that those green spaces which remain are being guarded jealously by local residents, like the people who are campaigning to prevent Baildon Green and Baildon Bank losing its designation as Green Belt and becoming instead an Urban Green Space, which they fear carries with it a lower level of protection.

The current draft UDP in fact appears to be threatening to make even more of an impact on the landscape of the district at a time when minds are supposed to be focusing on brown-field sites.

The big danger is of the urban sprawl working its way up the Aire Valley, merging places like Riddlesden, East Morton, Micklethwaite and Crossflatts into one broad ribbon of development.

The public seem well enough aware of this. While the Lower Baildon protesters are starting to press their case for the perpetual preservation of their remaining green space, there is also a growing protest about development plans for the area between Sty Lane and Micklethwaite.

Why, then, is the Council trying to make these communities feel insecure about their precious greenery? If it really is serious about protecting open land, there is surely no justification for changing the designation of some sites. Councillor Hawkesworth says that people should use the consultation process to air their objections, which will be "looked at".

All concerned residents would do well to take up that invitation. But the Council then needs to do more than "look at" their views. It needs to act on them.