Several live planning applications could have to go back before a committee as a result of a “genuine mistake” at Bradford Council which has cast doubt over areas allocated for housebuilding across the district.

An emergency meeting of the executive has been called for Monday, to rush through a decision to close a loophole which could affect the future of a number of housing sites.

It has come to light that after almost 300 sites were allocated for housing in the Replacement Unitary Development plan in 2005, there was an omission by the Council at its review three years ago and major housing sites were not properly protected.

Andrew Marshall, the Council’s planning and transport strategy manager, explained in a report to the special meeting that certain policies such as two which categorised housing land into phases, were thought to be no longer required.

But a planning expert who lives locally has challenged the legal basis for saving unimplemented housing allocations, believing the policy which was saved, known as H4, only served to protect the sites and not allocate them for a specific use.

The Council’s own solicitors now agree.

Mr Marshall states in the report: “The acceptance of counsel’s advice has significant implications for the consideration of current live as well as future planning applications, also a current planning appeal.

“The effect of the advice therefore needs to be resolved to provide certainty to both decision-makers, developers and communities.”

The executive is being asked to resolve to “reaffirm that it was not the Council’s intention to allow the unimplemented housing sites to lapse” and that “significant material weight is to be given to their previous allocation” when determining a planning application.

As a result of the blunder any applications relating to such land, which have been considered but without a decision notice being issued, will need to be reconsidered by the regulatory and appeals committee. It is also feared that the technicality could lead to an influx of legal challenges to the authority, particularly over planning bids at controversial sites, such as Sty Lane, near Micklethwaite, Bingley, and Derry Hill and Bingley Road at Menston.

Campaigners from the Greenhill Action Group, who are fighting to prevent a development of up to 440 homes at Sty Lane, now hope to use the information in their bid to stop planning permission being granted on appeal after a public inquiry scheduled for early next year.

Those fighting plans to build 174 homes at Derry Hill and 125 homes at Bingley Road in Menston also believe the admission could help their case to stop permission being granted.

Chris Schofield, a solicitor acting for Menston Action Group, said: “The Council’s position is that there is a presumption that there should be a housing development on these sites.

“That presumption is no longer there.”

e-mail: jo.winrow@telegraphandargus.co.uk