I find it extremely strange that we have horror stories of a shortage of housing and house prices going up when developers are still coming back to planners saying their approved planning applications are not viable unless they get out of their affordable housing obligations. Clearly, if house prices are going up and up developers can afford to fulfil their obligations.

The other thing I find astonishing about these stories is the number of sites in Leeds that have had planning permission for some considerable time, yet when developers are asked why they are not being built they turn round and say there is no demand. I know that in the current economic situation the buoyancy of the economy differs from one place to another, but in Leeds we have a strong and active economy.

It therefore seems to me that this is a serious case of land banking by developers, hence restricting supply and giving them an excuse to claim that more land should be released for development. It is quite clear to me that this is happening because developers do not wish to build on brown field sites, they wish to develop green field sites where they will make much more profit.

Councillor David Blackburn, Leader of the Group Group, Leeds City Council