Tories slam 'grey belt con trick' amid building fears

A huge row has broken out over green belt land in Leeds green belt as the Government plans to stop councils from overruling ministers on major housing developments.

- by Harriet Sutton

Leeds City Council's Conservative group leader Coun Alan Lamb claims that 90 per cent of the city's green belt will be reclassified as grey belt, following a confidential briefing he had with local authority officials.

He said he was "breaking confidence with a heavy heart, but because I think it is important", adding that "all the people of Leeds should know".

This claim has been dismissed as "incorrect and misleading" by the council, which said the review of the green belt is at a very early stage.

This has been ordered by the Government as part of its aim to build 1.5 million new homes by 2029.

The green belt is made up of buffer zones around cities such as Sheffield, Leeds and York, which limit building to prevent urban sprawl.