Developments could fill up green belt to hit housing targets under Labour plans

This includes a so-called “new common-sense approach to the green belt”.

These are buffer zones around cities and built-up areas of parkland, which limit building to prevent urban sprawl.

There are huge green belt spaces in West and South Yorkshire around Leeds and Sheffield, as well as encompassing York.

Under changes spearheaded by Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner, if councils cannot hit their mandatory housing targets by building on brownfield sites then they will be required to review their greenbelt boundaries.

Any homes built on the green belt will be subject to Ms Rayner’s “golden rules”, which would require developers to provide the necessary infrastructure, such as nurseries, GP surgeries and transport connections.

Councils would also have to focus on building on the “grey belt”, which refers to parts of the green belt, such as wasteland and old car parks, which appear like brownfield sites.

Ms Rayner said areas with the highest unaffordability and greatest potential for growth will see housebuilding targets rise.

This has seen the annual housing target for North Yorkshire increase by 211 per cent under the new calculations - and that is higher than the target for Leeds.

While in Bradford, the annual housing target is actually lower than previously.

Ms Rayner said: “Today’s landmark overhaul will sweep away last year’s damaging changes and shake-up a broken planning system which caves into the blockers and obstructs the builders.

“I will not hesitate to do what it takes to build 1.5 million new homes over five years and deliver the biggest boost in social and affordable housebuilding in a generation.

“We must all do our bit and we must all do more. We expect every local area to adopt a plan to meet their housing need.

“The question is where the homes and local services people expect are built, not whether they are built at all.”

Last week, the Prime Minister confirmed the 1.5 million homes target as one of his milestones in his plan for change.

Sir Keir said: “For far too long, working people graft hard but are denied the security of owning their own home.

“I know how important it is - our pebble dash semi meant everything to our family growing up.

“But with a generation of young people whose dream of homeownership feels like a distant reality, and record levels of homelessness, there’s no shying away from the housing crisis we have inherited.”

He added: “We’re taking immediate action to make the dream of homeownership a reality through delivering 1.5 million homes by the next parliament.”

The Government’s green belt plans have previously come under criticism, with the County Councils network saying they risk a “developer free for all”.

The group, which represents 37 local authorities including North Yorkshire and the East Riding, said areas could be left at the mercy of speculative housing developers under the Government’s planning reforms.

The proposals are currently out for consultation, however if confirmed the Ms Rayner said areas must commit to timetables for new plans within 12 weeks.