A councillor has called upon people in Wharfedale to fight what he claims is the threat of thousands of new homes in the district.

The Telegraph & Argus yesterday revealed how a report by consultants Baker Associates had recommended 7,500 new homes be built across the Yorkshire and Humberside, including a "new settlement" at Menston.

The report, which proposes tens of thousands of new homes across West Yorkshire up to the year 2016, sparked controversy by pinpointing Menston and other areas such as Baildon, Greengates and Esholt.

Tory Ilkley ward councillor Anne Hawkesworth said: "Residents in Craven and Menston must not just sit back and accept the inevitable. Questions need to be asked as to true projections. What is the true position as to single person households? How viable is the logic from financial as well as social reasons? Perhaps, as people live longer the whole concept of wider families will be looked into?"

She said the Baker report suggested 7,500 homes in the Wharfe Valley near Menston, producing a settlement - perhaps in Lower Menston.

Further sites are to be investigated in the Aire Valley and an earlier planning report implied the need to develop within the Craven Ward, which would could involve filling in the gap between Silsden and Steeton.

She said: "There is no reason why the production of these dwellings has to be in an already densely populated area such as Bradford and Leeds. A new town could be just as possible in the Wolds where there are rail links and flat, easily developed areas."

The Baker report into the scale and location of development in Yorkshire and Humberside was commissioned by the Regional Planning Conference.

The implications for Bradford have been discussed by the Council's transportation, planning and design sub-committee.

The report also says that up to 2016 up to 20,000 houses could be built between parts of Bradford, Leeds and Kirklees. The figures from the outside consultants are far higher than was originally envisaged.

But today Councillor Latif Darr, chairman of the Bradford Council's transportation, planning and design committee, said: "This is not the end of the line by any means. This will now go for a great deal of consultation across the region. But we are obviously concerned about the projections for Bradford."

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