COMMUNITIES across Horsforth and Aireborough are contesting proposed sites for thousands of new homes.

Residents across the areas have reacted angrily to Leeds City Council proposed site allocations which are going out to public consultation.

Leeds needs to accommodate 70,000 new homes to be built by 2028 as part of its core strategy.

But many residents say their local areas will be devastated by the scale of the developments which they claim will destroy green belt.

Leeds City Council's Site Allocation Plans were discussed at an Executive Board meeting last week and are now due to go out for an eight-week consultation.

The council is stressing that the consultation will be "robust" and would be made as accessible as possible. It says it will provide a genuine opportunity for all parties, including ward councillors, to contribute towards the process.

The plans will also go before the scrutiny board for consideration following the consultation exercise.

But this week Horsforth councillors Chris Townsley and Brian Cleasby spoken out against the site allocations which they say will force Horsforth to shoulder almost a third of all proposed housing development in the north area of the city.

Under the proposals they say Horsforth will have to take more than 2000 homes on greenfield sites by 2030.

Coun Townsley said: "This is ridiculous. How on earth can the council justify these figures? They are trying to force Horsforth to shoulder the unnecessary burden of over 30 per cent of all housing developments in the north part of Leeds for another 15 years.

"Our schools can’t take it, our roads can’t take it and our public services certainly can’t take it."

Coun Cleasby said, "They’re already building thousands of properties on brownfield sites in the area and we have very little left to develop."

He added: "These plans will ruin the character of our beautiful town and countryside and should be opposed at every stage."

Aireborough Neighbourhood Development Forum says it also has major concerns with the site allocation plan – which could see 2,300 new homes houses in the area between 2012 and 2028.

Writing on the forum's website chairwoman Jennifer Kirkby said 95 per cent of sites to be found were on green belt.

She highlighted concerns about a a number of proposed sites, including one which is felt to be an important green zone between Guiseley and Menston.

She said: "The major urban extension at Ings Lane, Guiseley (3026), for just under 300 houses, is not infill – it joins the settlements of Guiseley and Menston. It should not matter that part of Menston lies within the Leeds City boundary, it is still Menston. The green belt in this area also separates the urban areas of Leeds/Bradford from rural Wharfedale, and is important to landscape character."

Leeds City Council has stressed that the focus of its strategy is to provide a way for Leeds to develop and grow as a major UK city to meet the needs of residents now and in the future. It says it is trying to do this in a fair and sustainable way.

Speaking at Leeds Metropolitan University last year Leeds City Council’s chief executive, Tom Riordan, stressed the importance of new housing to the city’s overall future success.