SIR – Further to Philip Sutcliffe’s letter (T&A, Oct 5), I would like to clarify that the Conservative councillors on Bradford Council do not support the building of thousands of houses on green belt land.

Mr Sutcliffe may share my surprise that the Council’s Strategic Housing Needs Assessment report – which informs the Council that we need these 27,000 new homes – is published but not circulated among the elected members. It appears only a chosen few have read it and we are expected to take their word that this massive amount of development is needed.

Having not seen the report and supporting evidence, Conservative councillors do not support the building the new houses as dictated by the Council, such as the 2,000-plus proposed for Holme Wood and Tong. We will, however, support development where the local communities actually want it.

In light of the Localism Bill, the Council should recognise that communities should be at the heart of local development decisions, not merely informed of it.

Sadly, it is difficult for us to challenge the number of houses that the Council claims that it needs to build, on behalf of the residents who we represent, without seeing the evidence base.

So much for openness and transparency!

Councillor Glen Miller, leader of the Conservative Group, City Hall, Bradford