Kirklees Council’s proposal to allow thousands of homes on the green belt will be under the spotlight this week.

The public inquiry into the borough’s proposed development blueprint – the Local Plan – is entering its final stages.

After months of general policy discussions the government appointed planning inspector is now due to hear about dozens of specific sites, including plans to allow huge schemes on land currently designated as green belt.

Tomorrow (Tuesday) afternoon the sites to be discussed include the land behind the Miller and Carter steak house at Mirfield (formerly the Three Nuns pub), land at the edge of Clayton West behind Park Mill and the former North Bierley waste water plant at Cleckheaton.

Chidswell Action Group members (from left to right) Ruth Hunt, Mandy Williams, Stephen Newlove and Mark Eastwood brave the stormy weather at their weekly street stall in Leeds Road, Shaw Cross.

The planned ‘permanent’ travellers sites at Ridings Road, Dewsbury and adjacent to the Showcase de Luxe cinema at Birstall, will also be reviewed.

The hearings at the Hudawi Centre, which are open to the public, continue on Wednesday with the most controversial plan, housing on Bradley Golf Course, to be discussed in the afternoon.

Development plans for a number of green belt areas in Lepton are also on the agenda.

Thursday will see a large number of small and medium sized housing estate plans around Huddersfield discussed, while Friday features larger sites, including the Crosland Moor land currently occupied by Black Cat Fireworks and more development off Lindley Moor Road.

Councillors were shown these two plans for the 700 home proposal on the Black Cat fireworks site at Crosland Moor

Hearings about North Kirklees sites, including Chidswell and ‘Dewsbury Riverside’, will begin on Tuesday, February 27 at Batley Town Hall.

The Local Plan is the council’s masterplan for allocating land for new homes, new factories and offices, roads, mines and a host of other proposals.

It is aiming to find space for 31,000 new homes in the period up to 2031.

About half of the 31,000 homes already have planning permission.

Campaigners are fighting to save picturesque green belt land in Chidswell, Dewsbury, from homes and industry under the proposed Local Plan.

Kirklees Council planning officials have targeted a number of a large green belt sites to make up the difference, including the Bradley golf site, the Dewsbury Riverside, a large area of green space between Mirfield and Ravensthorpe and open space at Chidswell, Dewsbury, near the M1.

The lengthy process of agreeing, consulting and reviewing the hugely complicated plan is now nearing the end.

The map was first revealed in public in the autumn of 2015 before years of negotiation and council decisions began.

Councillors agreed to forge ahead in 2016 and the public inquiry began last autumn.

The planning inspector will conclude the public hearings in the next few months before spending about six months reviewing the huge dossier in private.

A final decision is expected in late 2018.