Land allocated for a massive housing development in the Aire Valley should be released earlier than Bradford Council is proposing, a public inquiry was told.

The case was made on behalf of Redrow Homes by town planner Michael Courcier at an inquiry into the Council's proposed plan for land use throughout the district for the next 15 years.

It plans to earmark land off Sty Lane, Micklethwaite, for housing after 2009.

Mr Courcier said the site's early release would be consistent with national and regional planning policy in the event there was not enough land to meet housing needs in urban areas. He said it should be included in the first phase of a two-tier plan for housing, which would mean development would start before March 31, 2009.

Alternatively he suggested it could be included in the second phase of a three-tier plan, covering the period 2006 to 2011, which he proposed to the Council at an earlier date in the inquiry.

He added: "Such early release would also bring benefits for Bingley."

Engineer Alison France, representing the developers, told the inquiry that once the Bingley relief road was open, traffic would be reduced on Micklethwaite Lane at its junction with Keighley Road, so there would be no reason on highways or transportation grounds why the site should not be developed earlier.

She said that for access to the site, the developers would be willing to provide either a fixed bridge or a swing bridge to replace the present Micklethwaite Lane bridge over the canal. And she argued a swingbridge, which would give priority to boats over vehicles, might deter people from using the road as a rat run.

She also said the developers would be prepared to provide a separate bridge for pedestrians and cyclists which would reduce their journey times.

But Martin Carter, the Council's barrister, said a swingbridge could cause 35-vehicle queues backing on to Keighley Road if it took five minutes for a boat to pass and the road to re-open.

The inquiry into the proposed replacement Unitary Development Plan for the Bradford district is at Victoria Hall in Saltaire and will end later this month. Its decision is expected next year.