Commuting balance click to enlarge
The York Council has used outdated statistics to support their proposed Local Plan.
A key feature of the plan to grow jobs by 1000 a year and house numbers by 22,000 are the assumptions being made about commuting.
For these the Council is relying on the output from the 2001 census.
For many years there have been more people commuting into York to work than going the other way.
Local plan on commuting click to enlarge
Most come from the East Riding and Selby areas.
Around 2900 commute into York from Leeds and the West Riding while 5800 commute the other way.
It seems likely that this will continue as people match their specialist skills to the location of suitable employment.
It is fanciful to suggest that most York commuters will find suitable local jobs even in an expanding economy.
Some inward commuters may chose to move into the City but families with 2 or more people in employment will not find that an easy or cheap option.
What is surprising is that the Council should see the provision of a 5000+ new town at Holme Hill (dubbed New Alexandria) in the southern part of the green belt as a solution to housing problems.
This sector of the City has some of the worst traffic congestion in the county.
It is remote from the major employment development sites and there is no obvious – affordable – route into the City centre for a non road transport link.
The Local Plan acknowledges that congestion delays could DOUBLE by 2026.
Labours new Local Plan looks increasingly like a poorly thought through proposal.