A council leader has invited Stoke-on-Trent residents to suggest brownfield sites for development – but insists that greenfield land will still be needed for new homes.

Jane Ashworth, leader of Stoke-on-Trent City Council, was challenged over the authority's approach to development at a meeting of the full council.

The Labour-run city council recently consulted on its draft local plan, which controversially includes proposals to earmark Green Belt sites for more than 10,000 homes.

Potteries Party councillor David Mountford asked Cllr Ashworth to 'assure residents that every viable brownfield site in the city will be fully assessed' before any community is asked to take more housing.

He also suggested that 'convenience or cost' should not be a reason to bypass brownfield sites.

Cllr Mountford defected from the Labour Party earlier this year after speaking out against the council's plans to build up to 800 homes on farmland in his Great Chell and Packmoor ward.

Cllr Ashworth insisted the council had a 'brownfield first' policy, and urged anyone who thinks sites have been overlooked to come forward.

She said: "If any resident in the city knows of a brownfield site which isn't yet marked for development, then please tell us. We have a policy of brownfield sites first.

"We want to be able to say with absolute confidence that where the owner of a brownfield site wants to develop their land for housing or economic value, that we know about it, we've considered it and we've appropriately put it for designation in the next iteration of the local plan.

"Brownfield sites first – yes. But that will not be adequate for dealing with the needs of our city for increased housing and increased employment land across the board."

Once adopted, Stoke-on-Trent's local plan will guide all development in the city up to the year 2040.

The draft version included site allocations for 18,528 homes across Stoke-on-Trent.

In an initial written question, Cllr Mountford asked what the council had been doing to get government support for developing 'heritage-burdened' brownfield sites such as Chatterley Whitfield.

Cllr Ashworth said she had personally lobbied housing minister Matthew Pennycook on the issue, and had asked for special recognition to be given to such sites and the increased cost of developing them.

She also said that the council would continue to progress the development of heritage sites such as Spode in Stoke and the Crown Works in Longton.

Anyone who would like to suggest a brownfield site for development should email [email protected]