A council has been warned if would not be doing the people of Ilkley “any favours” if it does not push ahead with a controversial plan for the future.

And Councillor Paul Kitching told Ilkley Parish Council work needs to begin on a Neighbourhood Plan as soon as possible, to determine how the town will be shaped and the designation of potentially hundreds of new homes.

Coun Kitching is part of a sub-committee on the council looking at Bradford Council’s Local Develop-ment Framework (LDF), which will set out a vision for the future of the town and the wider area until 2028. About 1,300 homes are proposed for Ilkley under the LDF, and although discussions are ongoing, a final plan could be signed off early next year.

Coun Kitching says the Neighbourhood Plan could then kick in and influence where any houses go, but he stressed, there would be no way of challenging the number of new homes recommended by the LDF under current laws.

And he said confusion about the Neighbourhood Plan and LDF – which are two separate things – could cause people to lose track and ultimately miss out.

He said: “If we don’t do something and take the first steps towards a Neighbourhood Plan and walk down that road, we wouldn’t be doing the parish of Ilkley and the people of Ilkley any favours in terms of what Ilkley will look like in the future.

“We accept there’s going to be some development.

“The fact is we’re still going to fight the LDF as a parish council group and this is a post-LDF position.”

Coun Kitching denied taking steps towards creating a Neighbourhood Plan was an admission of defeat in LDF discussions. And he could not answer claims the plan could cost between £40,000 and £100,000. Councillors voted in favour of taking the next step towards the formation of a Neighbourhood Plan by applying for Designated Area Status from Bradford Council.