Ilkley’s local council has resolved to oppose major housing development on green belt land in the area, ahead of Bradford Council finalising a key part of it Local Plan for the future of the district.

Ilkley Parish Council agreed on Monday night to adopt a policy of opposing in principal all future large and medium scale development within its parish boundaries on land currently registered as green belt.

And the parish council will also require any future proposal received to necessitate the development of education, health, employment, highways and parking infrastructure to match.

The policy was proposed by Councillor Paul Kitching, who recently debated a series of recommendations with experts in various fields as part of the Ilkley Future Group.

It comes ahead of Bradford Council’s production of a proposed Core Strategy for the forthcoming Local Plan, which will serves as the rule book for housing and employment land development across the Bradford District until 2028.

The first Core Strategy draft recommended a total of 1,300 homes should be built in Ilkley, towards a 45,000 target for the whole district.

The authority is to be asked to approve the issuing of the publication draft of its Core Strategy on November 19.

If approved, this will be considered by the full council on December 10, prior to formal publication for public representations early in the New Year.

According to the most recent housing land allocation assessments, says Coun Kitching, there could be between 1,700 and 1,800 homes proposed in Ilkley.

He told the meeting: “It’s going to be a very hard fight and it’s not nimbyism, it’s looking after our town.

“It’s not saying ‘no development’, it’s saying yes to the right development.”

About 20 members of the public turned up at the parish council’s meeting on Monday night – including representatives of groups concerned with protecting the town from overdevelopment.

Several asked the council to support the proposed stance.

They recounted past efforts to oppose overdevelopment of Ilkley, and argued housing need was greatest in Bradford itself, where affordable housing was needed.