PLANS to build nearly 1,500 homes on greenfield land in the East Riding have been unveiled by the city council.
The move is part of wider proposals by Hull City Council to offer around 320 acres of land owned by the authority for development.
Overall, the council aims to provide enough land for 4,250 new homes over the next 25 years.
Senior councillors say the initiative will help boost the economy by helping to sustain and create around 6,000 jobs in the construction industry while generating up to £20m a year through a profit-sharing deal with the chosen developer.
Most of the land is in Hull but four sites owned by the city council in the East Riding are expected to generate the most controversy.
Three are located to the south and west of Cottingham with the potential for just over 1,000 new homes between them.
They are located off Priory Road, Willerby Low Road and Eppleworth Road.
All three are currently arable land managed by tenant farmers. Council officials in Hull say recent and proposed flood mitigation schemes in the Cottingham area will allow all three sites to be developed.
The fourth site is to the west of Hedon, where 420 homes are earmarked.
None of the sites have been allocated for future housing development in East Riding Council's draft local plan.
Councillor John Black, Hull's cabinet member for housing strategy, admitted the issue of developing Hull-owned land in the East Tiding was "likely to be very sensitive".
But he said: "We have got to look at how best we use of our resources and unlocking land we own for development is the way to achieve this.
"The City Plan was launched recently with a vision to develop Hull over the next decade or so.
"Something has got to happen to turn that into a reality, something has got to get off the ground and everyone has to play a part.
"This is about regeneration, creating jobs and allowing the council to concentrate on some of the areas that have been abandoned as a result of this Government's policies."
Councillor Steve Bayes, Hull's cabinet member for regeneration and employment, said: "The key to this is using our land assets to deliver new housing.
"One of the few things we can still can call on is our land assets.
"There is no other significant money coming from Government so these assets have to be used to address the council's priorities."
The identified development land for new housing in Hull includes sites at Preston Road, Wawne Road and the former David Lister School in Rustenburg Street, east Hull, which closed in September.
Under the proposed partnership, a single developer will be granted exclusive rights to build on 50 per cent of the land.
The chosen company would also be required to procure sub-contractors to develop the remaining land.
A procurement process is expected to start early in the new year.
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