Swathes of protected green land could be built on as council chiefs search for space for thousands of new homes.

For years Brighton and Hove City Council has ruled out developing about 50 suburban plots, instead preserving them as open spaces for recreation.

But with a pressing need to find up to 20,000 homes over the next two decades, town hall officials have now admitted some of the urban fringe will have to be built on.

The admission came as the City Plan, which will guide development in the area until 2030, was publicly examined by a government inspector yesterday.

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Last night politicians were unhappy the decision had been taken without any democratic mandate.

But business leaders were adamant it was the right thing to do, as the council’s current target of 11,300 homes is still way below the predicted demand of between 16,000 and 20,000 homes.

Tony Mernagh, of Brighton and Hove Economic Partnership, said he was “not surprised” green space was being looked at for housing, given the shortfall.

He said: “I think the time has nowcome for politicians of all parties to look quite closely at what the inspector is expecting.

“We’re still going to be short but I’m quite sure the inspector will want us to get as near to the target as possible.

“For those people against it, they only have to look across the road where there is 660,000 hectares of national park land for them to enjoy.”

The City Plan is a blueprint which aims to provide enough places for people to live, work and play in an area wedged between the sea and the South Downs National Park.

When the plan was originally tabled in January the council said it could build just 11,300 of the predicted demand of up to 20,000 homes, utilising every possible site in the city.

The only urban fringe site allocated for development, and included in the target, was Toads Hole Valley in Hove, which could hold 700 homes, offices and a school.

Some councillors hoped this would be enough to meet the new national planning policy and appease the government inspector. But, under pressure to close the gap between demand and supply for homes, officials yesterday tabled an amendment to the blueprint which said it would accommodate an extra 100 to 200 homes on the urban fringe.

The exact sites were not discussed but could include pockets in Mile Oak, Ovingdean, Coldean and Hollingbury.

Dereck Wade, of DW Planning in Lewes, represents Benfield Investments, which wants to build on a plot near Sainsbury’s in west Hove.

He said: “The last inspector urged the council to look down every rabbit hole [to find places for homes].

“Well they have looked down about five but now I think they are suffering from myxomatosis.”

But Chris Todd, of Brighton and Hove Friends of the Earth, said building on the fringe should be a “last resort”.

He added: “No doubt there are some small pockets around the urban fringe that could be developed but the council must look harder at existing urban sites and see what more it can get on them.”

Sandra Rogers, of Brighton and Hove City Council, said she felt the local authority had the “right balance”

between providing homes, employment sites and open space.

But Conservative councillor Garry Peltzer Dunn said: “There is no democratic mandate for officers, or anyone else for that matter, to put forward a proposal for extra housing at this late stage. They need to withdraw it and speak to councillors before doing anything further.”

Labour councillor Gill Mitchell said: “From listening to the arguments it is clear that the city’s green, open spaces are facing unprecedented development pressure thanks to the coalition Government’s weaker planning framework. While an increase in housing numbers has been proposed, this must come back to the council for full, democratic debate.”