Campaigners fighting to stop hundreds of new homes from being built in Menston have hailed a Government Minister’s vow to meet them.

Decentralisation Minister Greg Clark made the pledge in response to an invitation from Shipley MP Philip Davies during Parliamentary questions last Thursday.

Mr Clark will now visit Menston to meet members of Menston Action Group and hear why they think building new homes on green fields at Derry Hill and Bingley Road would cause “untold damage”.

Mr Davies shares the campaigners’ concerns about the impact of the proposed residential schemes on the area’s already-struggling roads network and other infrastructure.

Referring to the new Government’s plans to return decision-making over planning and housing to local councils and end a new-housing ‘quota’ for each region, Mr Davies told Mr Clark: “I very much welcome the ending of the regional spatial strategy.

“My constituents, who are fighting inappropriate proposed developments in Micklethwaite and Menston, would like to know more detail about how the Government’s new planning policy may enable them to fight off those developments.

“Will the Minister visit Shipley and meet local residents to discuss with them how the Government’s new planning policy may help them in those particular cases?”

Mr Clark replied: “My Hon Friend extends an enticing invitation that I will be delighted to take up, so that I can meet his local community and tell them that they are now free to set community plans in accordance with their interests without any fear that those plans will be revoked by national, unelected officials.”

Philip Moore, of MAG, said: “We look forward to welcoming Minister Greg Clark to Menston village. We welcome the opportunity to explain, in detail, our concerns relating to the destruction of the countryside and to the untold damage that would be done by another major expansion on top of what is already going on at High Royds, White Cross, Silver Cross and the Crompton Parkinson sites in Guiseley.

“I hope we will have the opportunity to show him our local village roads and commuter routes to Leeds and Bradford, and for him to hear why our roads in particular will not cope with an extra 600-plus cars exiting and entering at peak times.

“We can also explain why we think the previous planning inspector’s report was severely flawed in relation to the railway line, which is already full to capacity at peak times with no hope of upgrading in the foreseeable future, and why the local Bradford secondary schools are either not open to our children, or too far away to be within walking distance.

“I am sure he will see clearly why these green fields at Bingley Road and Derry Hill are not fit for purpose as housing estates.”

Both sites had their Green Belt protection removed by a planning inspector in 2004.