GREENBELT protestors say recent flooding has highlighted the unsuitably of a site earmarked for hundreds of new homes.

The Menston and Guiseley greenbelt protection group has issued photographs of flooded fields that have been allocated for housing under Leeds City Council's site allocation plan.

They are arguing it makes no sense to build on an area that is regularly underwater.

Liz Kirkpatrick, from the group, said: "This is one of Leeds preferred sites for housing – 298 houses are planned for these fields in LCC’s housing allocations.

"The clue is in the name. It is land off Ings Lane in Guiseley, Ings being an Old Norse word for water meadow.

"And this sort of flooding is not unusual – it happens three to four times a year. It is caused by Mire Beck, which runs alongside the Ings overtopping its banks and flowing into the fields. This decreases the pressure on the stream, the fields acting as a storage pond reducing the flow downstream and alleviating flooding to adjacent properties and gardens

"The Environment Agency identifies this area partly as high and partly as medium risk of surface water flooding. However, this does not take into account the recognised predicted factor of a 30 per cent rise in rainfall by 2086, which must be factored into any site considered for development, especially near a watercourse.

"With flooding occurring on a more regular basis year on year, surely it is inadvisable to build on a flood plain, even from a beck. Would you want to buy a house built here?"

The action group was set up last year to defend Menston and Guiseley from development amid fears they could be swamped by thousands of new homes.

Stressing enough is enough, the group argued the area could not cope with vast numbers of new homes, and called on residents to act before it was too late.

The group argued the infrastructure was already overstretched and said the situation would become untenable if future building went ahead.

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