Anger erupted at a council meeting over the controversial housing and industry blueprint – the Local Plan.

Veteran Labour councillor Molly Walton attacked the Tories and urged them not to scupper proposals to build 30,000 homes through protests and lobbying.

The Conservative group has already vowed to fight much of the plan, published last week, particularly in north Kirklees where a large development is planned on green belt in Chidswell.

A travellers camp is also proposed in Birstall, the ward of Tory leader Clr Robert Light.

At a town hall meeting Clr Walton, appealed to the Tory group to think of the bigger picture – Kirklees’ economy and housing shortage.

She said it was time to stop being “party political with everything” and accused the Conservatives of holding back progress.

“We have to look at this across Kirklees,” she said. “What is it going to do as a whole?”

Referring to the Conservatives, she continued: “That is what you’re incapable of doing. For 26 years on this council I’ve seen it year after year. You forget you belong to Kirklees, you forget you’re part of a bigger unit. All you do is think about your own little parochial bit. You’ve lost the bigger picture and that’s a real big shame.”

Huddersfield Town Hall.

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Cleckheaton Lib Dem Clr Andrew Pinnock also joined calls to stick to the plan.

He said: “We desperately need this (consultation) to get underway. We need to have a plan in place by 2017. All councillors know there will be huge disagreements about what’s in the plan, but we need to get the process in place.

“Let’s keep to the timetable. If we don’t we’ll extend the period in which developers are running roughshod over the sites we haven’t got at the moment.”

READ MORE: Tories claim housing proposal is 'biggest attack on green belt in history'

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Colne Valley Lib Dem Clr David Ridgway added: “If the public come out with ideas that suddenly suit the Conservative group to campaign against does that mean we will then have the inspector throw it out yet again so we’ll have another five years of faffing about?”

Leader Clr David Sheard said it was unhelpful to “mislead” the public into thinking that thousands of names on a petition could stop the plan.

LF Europe home of Standard and Black Cat Fireworks, Crosland Moor.

READ MORE: Kirklees Council reveals where it will let developers build 30,000 homes - including on Bradley Park Golf Course and the greenbelt

He said: “I despair a bit that some members want to deliberately misunderstand it so that they actually mislead.

“I hope people will consult on this plan and put reasonable comments to us.”

He added: “The biggest objectors (to the plan) are people who have not got their land included for development.”

But Mirfield Tory, Clr Martyn Bolt, boasted that just seven Tories stopped the council’s “despised UDP” plan and said they would fight on.

He said: “First they came for the bowlers, then they came for the golfers. If the public are not aware they will be next on the list for this Labour cabal.”

Bradley Park Golf Course.

Tory leader Clr Robert Light said he struggled to see the links between the plan and the council’s economic and wellbeing strategies but was “prepared to commit to listen to the views of the public.”

He added: “We know how successful the Birstall retail park is. It’s been a gem for this council yet the council is proposing to site a traveller camp within that highly successful business community.

“Now is the time for ordinary members of this council and the public to have their views considered.”

READ MORE: Consultation on development plan that could change Kirklees within a generation will last six weeks

About 200 sites have been identified to meet the council’s estimated housing needs. It says about 10,000 homes are already underway or planned but a further 20,000 must be built.

Consultation will run from November 9 to December 18.