HUNDREDS of additional houses are on the cards for Ilkley and neighbouring villages in a U-turn by Bradford Council on the planning blueprint for the District.
Ilkley is now earmarked for 1,000 houses over the next 15 years - an increase of 200 - after the authority recalculated housing distribution proposals for the Core Strategy of its Local Plan.
In a move which could also see housebuilding figures increase to 600 in Menston and 700 in Burley-in-Wharfedale, Council planners recalculated housing distribution figures after coming under pressure in a legal debate at an ongoing hearing over the proposed Core Strategy.
The new figures - which the Council says will go out to public consultation - also see housebuilding requirements in Bradford, Shipley, Baildon and Haworth slashed as a result of land supply issues and English Heritage objections.
Silsden gained an extra 200, taking its current tally to 1,200.
The Council unveiled its proposed changes to the draft Core Strategy at an official examination of the plan by a Government planning inspector being held at Victoria Hall in Saltaire.
The Council cut initial Wharfedale housing figures in the consultation draft of its Core Strategy by 1,500, after calculating that areas of Wharfedale closer to Rombalds moor should not be built on due to Habitat Regulations Assessment rules.
But the use of HRA came under attack from representatives of some of the major housing developers in the region, prompting the revision.
The Council’s executive member for Housing, Planning and Transport, Councillor Val Slater, said: “This is what happens at a public inquiry where both sides of the argument are put by interested parties. 
“The Council reduced the number of houses in Ilkley and some other areas as a result of a habitat survey. This has now regrettably been challenged by a consortium of developers and the inspector has indicated that he accepts their arguments.”
The Council’s planning and transport strategy manager Andrew Marshall said the new figures would be published for comment by the public and other parties if the Inspector decides these changes to the Core Strategy are required. Comments would then be considered by the Inspector.
He warned that without a Local Plan being agreed, developers would be able to ‘cherry pick’ sites they wish to build on. He says the Core Strategy prioritises building on brownfield sites, but could not avoid the fact that greenfield land may need to identified for housing, as not enough brownfield was available.
Councillors and representatives of Wharfedale organisations who had been putting forward a case to reduce the housing totals proposed in the Core Strategy had their chance to speak out about Ilkley, Burley and Menston at the hearing on Tuesday.
Tony Emmott, of Ilkley Design Statement Group, said the housing distribution was debated at length with developers’ representatives supporting the proposed housebuilding increases and more.
Green Party parliamentary candidate for the Keighley Constituency, Ros Brown, spoke about the oversubscription at schools.
She told the Gazette: “The developers with their huge financial backing will be allowed to walk all over us unless the Inspector acts to protect our community. Unless this happens it is local families once more who will be left with the consequences of overcrowding while others walk away with handsome profits. 
“Like our other concerned local community groups I await the decisions of the Inspector with anticipation and still hope that common sense will prevail.”