HELP is needed to organise a war chest to defend Ilkley’s green spaces against development, says a councillor, as a crucial hearing looms over Bradford Council’s Local Plan.

Bradford Council submitted the Core Strategy of its Local Plan to the Planning Inspectorate last month, including housebuilding targets of 1,600 new homes in the Ilkley area over the next 15 years.

Ward councillors have now been informed by the Local Plan programme officer that hearings will begin at Victoria Hall, Saltaire, on March 4.

Ward councillor, Anne Hawkesworth (Ind, Ilkley) says the time has now come for members of the community to get involved in Ilkley’s own efforts to safeguard the town from overdevelopment.

“There is a formidable group of planners lined up for the developers. I am convinced that it would be advantageous to the town for funds to be raised in order to hire a professional advocate, or at least someone to assess and advise on the relative issues,” said Cllr Hawkesworth, who has renewed a call for some volunteers to come forward to co-ordinate the gathering of funding.

She said: “I have been asked by a resident about the “war chest” and where we are. The truth is nowhere. I attempted to get a volunteer or volunteers to take on the task of raising funds from residents, then decided to leave it until it was closer. Now here we are.”

She added: “I have approached a couple of possibilities but not heard anything as yet. Now I will need to approach the wider public. If anyone wishes to assist with this project please come forward.

“In the past we successfully funded a planning barrister, who was successful in achieving a good result for Ilkley. If anyone has expertise about the habitat survey and mitigation, please come forward.”

She has heard from some residents willing to put money towards a fund, which she believes ideally needs to be about £10,000 in total.

Although original housebuilding target proposals were slashed dramatically in the most recent draft of the Core Strategy, some felt the current figures still threaten to put a strain on the town’s infrastructure, and will almost inevitably mean building on greenfield sites.

Once the Core Strategy is agreed by a Planning Inspector, Bradford Council is expected to work on detailed site allocations over the next three years.

Previous Strategic Housing Land Allocation Assessments for the area have shown greenfield and Green Belt land as potential housing or business sites.