Bradford Council is looking into whether it will relax planning laws during next summer’s Tour de France.

Harrogate Council recently announced a ‘planning amnesty’ for the race’s Grand Depart, which will see the council make it easier for landowners to set up temporary camp sites, caravan parks or car parks, without having to apply for planning permission.

It will also cover the display of advertising material linked to the tour.

Harrogate councillors said they wanted to make it easy for businesses and landowners to help deal with the huge influx of visitors expected for the race, on July 5 and 6.

The council will not require applications for permission and will take no enforcement action, as long as the temporary use of land is not for more than 28 days and does not harm public safety or residential amenity.

Locally, the race will pass through Haworth, Keighley, Oxenhope, Silsden, Stanbury and Steeton, among other towns and villages controlled by Bradford Council.

Coun Val Slater, executive member in charge of planning, said the authority is considering whether to adopt a similar policy to Harrogate, adding: “There is an officer group looking at this – work is being done with residents and parish councils, and we’re holding a number of events to decide how to go forward.”

Coun Andrew Mallinson, who represents the Craven ward, an important part of the route, said: “The principle sounds very good. The one concern I would have is the cost after the Tour de France of any follow-up enforcement action to return fields to their original state.

“But the idea does give a lot more flexibility for people to do things on a temporary basis.”

Gary Verity, of Welcome to Yorkshire, the group that helped bring the race to the county, said he expected other local authorities to follow Harrogate’s lead.