Inspector tells Rotherham council more homes are needed
Rotherham Council has been ordered to increase its provision for new homes from 14,000 over 15 years, to 17,000.
After a three-week long public inquiry into its "core strategy" the planning inspectorate has increased the number by 3,000.
The council fears green belt land will have to be used to help the authority meet the new target.
Councillor Gerald Smith said they would now have to assess the impact of the inspector's findings.
"Rotherham has long-recognised the concerns of local residents about the loss of green belt and we argued for a housing figure that is lower than the previous government-imposed regional target [of 25,000 new homes]," said Mr Smith, who is responsible for regeneration and development.