Housing plans for Skelmanthorpe are on hold for further talks over affordable housing numbers.

Councillors were asked to rule on David Wilson Homes plans for 85 houses on grazing land north of Commercial Road in Skelmanthorpe.

But Clr Graham Turner said he felt “someone was pulling a fast one” and asked for it to be deferred to sort out the low number of affordable houses offered, plus look at drainage issues.

Instead of the usual 30% for such land the developer was offering just 12.5%.

Clr Turner said: “There are only 15 affordable houses on this site, what is the reason? I can understand Lindley Moor is a difficult piece of land to develop hence the affordable homes numbers being lower there, but this is a straight piece of field, if we can’t get 30% on this straight field we’ll never achieve it in this authority. It’s contrary to council policy and contrary to common sense.”

Clr Steve Hall, chair, said he was “fed-up” of developers seeking to avoid the council’s policy on affordable housing and moved the deferral vote that was agreed by the committee.

Residents had argued the land is not suitable for development.

Frank Dolan highlighted traffic and parking concerns, adding: “In passing this you will further destroy what remains of our community.”

Ian Hutchinson, a chartered surveyor, spoke of surface water and drainage issues and said the applicant has completed a “box-ticking” exercise.

Denby Dale Tory, Clr Elaine Ward, is named as an applicant as a field belonging to her family forms part of the site. Her two party colleagues on the planning committee made a declaration of interest but stressed there had been no discussion with Clr Ward about the matter.