A Stoke-on-Trent MP has raised concerns over controversial housing plans in Parliament.

Allison Gardner says Stoke-on-Trent City Council should prepare a masterplan for Green Belt land at Lightwood, which the authority has earmarked for 3,000 homes in its draft local plan.

The Labour MP for Stoke-on-Trent South believes a masterplan would allow infrastructure issues to be addressed and for mitigations to be put in place.

Dr Gardner led an adjournment debate on the issue in the House of Commons on Thursday, calling on the government to require all large-scale housing developments to have masterplans in place prior to any planning applications being submitted.

She said she opposed the size of the allocation at Lightwood – the largest in the draft local plan – but acknowledged that development 'is likely to proceed' due to parts of the site being under council ownership.

Residents in the area are strongly opposed to the allocation, due to the loss of Green Belt land and the impact on local roads and services.

Dr Gardner told the Commons that a masterplan would allow some of these concerns to be addressed prior to any development taking place.

She pointed out that the council had prepared a masterplan for land at Packmoor, which has been earmarked for 800 homes in the draft plan.

Dr Gardner said: "Residents should not receive different levels of engagement, transparency and certainty about the future of their communities simply because they happen to live in different postcodes.

"When a development is large enough to create an entirely new neighbourhood, it should not be allowed to emerge through a series of disconnected planning applications.

"It should be planned from the outset through a comprehensive masterplan that establishes a clear vision for the area and provides a framework for future development. In Lightwood's case, the local planning authority should be taking a proactive role in preparing and co-ordinating such a masterplan.

"Masterplans are not simply about determining where houses will go. They are about creating successful places and sustainable, accessible communities, both new and existing."

Dr Gardner suggested that a Lightwood masterplan could include sections on accessible green spaces, road capacity, walking and cycling routes, school places and water infrastructure.

Housing Minister Matthew Pennycook, responding for the government, said he was unable to comment on Stoke-on-Trent's local plan, which is currently subject to public consultation.

But he agreed that masterplans could be beneficial for strategic housing developments.

Updated national planning policy, published last month, introduces a definition for a 'strategic site' of at least 1,500 homes, which would require a masterplan.

While Stoke-on-Trent's local plan is being prepared under the old policy framework, Mr Pennycook said that the new policy demonstrated the government's 'direction of travel' on the issue.

He said: "I am passionate about well-designed masterplans, which can really reduce opposition to development by convincing people that the development coming forward is infrastructure-led, well designed and sustainable.

"The government are committed to delivering the right homes that people need while ensuring that development is supported by the appropriate infrastructure, working in tandem with local areas."

The city council has previously said that it does not believe that a council-led masterplan for Lightwood would be a good use of taxpayers' money, as the land is mostly privately owned.

But the authority insists that any planning applications brought forward by private developers would have to include a 'comprehensive, site-wide masterplan' to address issues such as roads and amenities.

The public consultation on the draft local plan runs until 14 September.