Local Plan – developers jumping the gun?

Freedom of Information revelation

The Council has admitted in a response to a Freedom of Information request that it is discussing building on green field sites on the outskirts of York before a new Local Plan has been agreed (or even discussed publicly)

Some of the sites are in the current Green Belt which is protected by a parliamentary directive.

Civil Service sports ground Boroughbridge Road, York

Civil Service sports ground Boroughbridge Road, York

Some applications are proceeding with undignified haste:

Application at Brecks Lane Strensall (now granted planning permission)

Scoping opinion for Monks Cross North

The council has admitted giving pre application advice for the following sites

Land at New Lane Huntington

Land at Church Balk Dunnington

Former Civil Service Sports Ground, Boroughbridge Road/ Millfield Lane –“currently invalid”

The Council now charges for pre planning application “advice”. It says that it does not reveal which sites it is giving “advice” on.

This means that residents and other interested parties are effectively precluded for the process and will only become involved when there is a “done deal”.

The York Councils approach to establishing a new “Local Plan” is little short of disgraceful. Residents who made a record number of objections to Labour’s plan have been kept in the dark about the process for nearly 9 months.

Meetings have been scheduled in April at which the views of landowners are expected to be published.

No timetable for dealing with residents objections has been set.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *