AFTER a long delay, Bradford Council is set to finally approve a plan that will shape future development in the district.

The Local Plan Core Strategy, which will decide where new homes and business premises are built, will be discussed and likely approved at a meeting of the Council’s executive next week.

The plan, which had been in development for several years, was blocked by Gavin Barwell, then Housing and Planning Minister, in October at the request of Shipley MP Philip Davies, who raised fears about the scale of building in the green belt.

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This block was lifted in late March, but there have been further delays in adopting the plan due to the calling of a General Election - which lead to a “purdah” period where no major political decisions could be made.

The meeting of the Executive on June 20 will be the first major meeting of the Council’s decision-making body since the election.

The Local Plan sets out the blueprint for development in the district for the next 12 to 15 years, but controversially could pave the way for 11,000 homes being built on the green belt. However, most of the sites identified for housing would be brownfield.

As well as housing, the document also covers other infrastructure such as highways, employment, education and leisure.

Likely changes to the original plan, suggested by the inspectors, including upgrading Burley and Wharfedale and Menston to “local growth centres” meaning they will be considered by planners as “accessible, attractive and vibrant places to live, work and invest, and should be enhanced.” It says green belt land should only be built on in “exceptional circumstances.”

Councillor Alex Ross-Shaw, executive for regeneration, planning and transport, said: “We have worked long and hard on behalf of our residents to ensure that future development in the district complies with Government-set target of 42,100 new homes while causing the least harm to the green belt.

“Now the Government has accepted the judgement of its own inspector, we can get on with the rest of the process to make sure that development in our district isn’t a developer free-for-all.”

The executive meets on Tuesday, June 20, from 2pm.