Huge swathes of green belt are closer to being paved over forever after Kirklees councillors agreed a planning blueprint.
Despite huge opposition from the public and dissent from several councillors a vote was passed to take the next step.
All four of the major controversial proposals have made it onto the second draft of the Local Plan, which is likely to be submitted for government approval early next year.
They are: 2,300 homes on and around what is now Bradley Park Golf Course, 4,000 homes on mostly green belt land between Mirfield and Ravensthorpe, 800 at Crosland Hill, and 1,500 homes at the Chidswell beauty spot in east Dewsbury.
Several councillors spoke out against the golf course proposal.
Ashbrow member, Clr James Homewood, said: “The only justification for removing the green belt buffer is when there’s no other land left to build on. I don’t believe that to be the case.”
But Clr Homewood (Labour) said he did not want to stop the Local Plan in its tracks and felt it was best that the planning inspectorate made any further changes.
Clr Bill Armer (Con) said removing the golf course was an “act of civic vandalism” and it was something that “ought to be cherished”.
Clr Cahal Burke (Lib Dem), said: “I don’t believe Bradley Park with all it has to offer is surplus to requirements. To destroy it would be a shameful act. It’s something we should be protecting.”
Leader of the Conservative group, Clr David Hall, said they did not agree with Labour on the necessity for 30,000 new homes – a figure demanded by the government – and were concerned about enormous industrial sites at Cooper Bridge and Chidswell.
He said: “We acknowledge the need to get an acceptable plan agreed, but this cannot be at any cost.”
Conservative councillors did not support the plan.
But Green leader in Kirklees, Clr Andrew Cooper, said the Conservative government was calling the shots and told the Tories it was a “shambles of your own making”.
Dewsbury Labour member, Clr Paul Kane, said it was vital to get the plan approved as the council had been “held to ransom” by “ruthless developers” for far too long.
Clr Peter McBride, the senior councillor in charge of the Local Plan, said it was “fair and balanced” and entirely designed on planning criteria.
“This is not the product of political trade-offs,” he vowed.
“If we don’t adopt this the alternative is ‘open sesame’ for developers.”
A vote was passed 34 for, 23 against with three abstentions.
The master plan for development until 2031 will now be reviewed for a second time and could be legally adopted in 2018.
