THE GOVERNMENT’s pledge that the green belt should be protected in all but exceptional circumstances will be of interest to anyone concerned about Bradford Council’s plans to build more than 10,000 homes on such land.

Clearly, the Government will need to be held to account over this statement in the coming years and must be monitored closely to ensure it enforces that policy rigorously.

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Furthermore, it’s vital that Ministers continue to provide incentives and the necessary help to entice developers to build on brownfield sites, of which there are many in our district.

We would still question the need for 42,100 new homes by 2030, especially given the likely impact of Brexit.

It would also be useful to see a breakdown of the types of homes that will be included in the Local Plan’s overall housing target for the district because there’s no point eating up acres of land for small numbers of ultra-expensive executive homes when the real need is for high numbers of low-cost homes.

Indeed, with Bradford having the country’s fastest-growing young population outside London, these affordable homes are what the district will need in the years to come in order to house the workers needed to get Bradford’s economy going.

In that light, it seems sensible to suggest that housing is needed in key central areas that are close to employment opportunities to cut down travel costs, reduce the impact on the environment and minimise pressure on services, in turn helping people overcome the incredibly high cost of getting a foot on the property ladder.