A PLANNING chief has issued a plea to landowners and agents to identify brownfield areas which could be used for building.

The move - aimed at saving greenfield sites from housing development - has been made by newly-appointed Harrogate Borough Council's head of planning, Tim Richards. It follows a Government initiative to find as many sites as possible for housing on previously developed land within urban areas.

Areas covered by the study will centre on built-up areas in Harrogate, Ripon, Knaresborough, Boroughbridge, Masham and Pateley Bridge.

Mr Richards said examples might include under-used buildings, derelict sites, sites likely to be available for redevelopment and building likely for conversion

Mr Richards said: "Inclusion of any site within the study does not mean it will be allocated for housing in the review of our Local Plan, or granted planning permission for housing.

"It merely indicates that the site may have development potential. The task of deciding which sites should be released for housing will be a matter for the Local Plan review process itself," he said.

Mr Richards said the key aim was to minimise loss of greenfield land and produce a more sustainable pattern of development. This could provide an opportunity to reduce use of the car in favour of other forms of transport, he said.