Bradford Council’s Core Strategy document, which went on display in Bradford yesterday and which sets out house-building plans for the coming years, does not make for pleasant reading for anyone who values the beautiful green spaces across our district.

Nor will it give much hope to those who are keen to get on the housing ladder or make the move to an affordable home in the area.

More than a quarter of the proposed 42,100 new homes the document says must be earmarked for building until the year 2030 could be built on green spaces.

It has long been the contention of the Telegraph & Argus that this is not the way forward in meeting Bradford’s housing needs. Of course, land in the green belt or in open countryside is very attractive to house developers – such locations can command high property values and are suitable for executive homes for those with very deep pockets or strong spending power.

But that is not the sort of property that is required to help ordinary Bradfordians own their own homes. We have for a long time advocated the use of post-industrial, or brownfield, sites for new house-building.

This makes sense in a number of ways – such sites are already close to existing infrastructure such as schools and shops, and close to transport links. They are also the perfect sites for building more affordable houses which can put home ownership in the reach of many more people.

Big houses commanding eye-watering prices might be what the builders would prefer, but this strategy should be catering to the needs of potential home-owners, not the profits of the developers.