Acomb Liberal Democrats are out today delivering a Focus newsletter which highlights the threat to the Green Belt in the area.

Meanwhile the Labour run City of York Council has blocked the publication of a key report used to justify its plans to build 22,000 houses over the next 15 years.

The Council commissioned the consultancy firm Arup to produce a study on housing growth in York. The company’s findings are being cited by the Council as “key evidence” to defend its controversial Local Plan, which was approved by the Labour Cabinet on Tuesday and now faces an eight-week public consultation.

Liberal Democrat Councillor Nigel Ayre has repeatedly asked for a copy of the report and Liberal Democrat Group Leader Carol Runciman has written to Council Chief Executive Kersten England asking for all evidence to be published. This morning, officers refused Cllr Ayre’s request saying that they would not be publishing the report until the delayed public consultation begins. This could still be four weeks away.

Cllr Nigel Ayre, Liberal Democrat Councillor for Heworth Without, commented:

“This report was paid for by taxpayers and is being used by Labour as key evidence that the city needs to build 1090 houses a year. It is a disgrace that it is not available now to opposition councillors, the public and the media. At the moment Labour are making claims about housing based on evidence which only they have seen. The report contains complex housing projections and we need to have this information as soon as possible in order to properly study Labour’s plans. We need to understand why in 2011 house building was revised down by Arup to 780-800 a year, but now just over 12 months later Labour had gone the opposite way and increased it to 1090 a year.

“Under Labour this Council has an appalling record on consulting and listening to the public. This consultation was meant to start in early May, but has now been delayed indefinitely. Meanwhile our simple requests that the Council should contact each and every household, provide balanced information, and immediately release all background documents are either being ignored or refused.

“It seems increasingly obvious that in order to force through their plans to build 22,000 houses and rip-up the Green Belt, Labour want to fix the consultation by limiting the time opponents have to study their plans and by refusing to contact all residents. This is a Council that is treating local people with contempt and plumbing new depths when it comes democratic accountability.”Cllr Ayre has today put in Freedom of Information Request asking for a copy of the report.

The Arup report is cited as part of the ‘key evidence base’ to justify the plans to build 1090 a year (22,000 over the course of the plan) e.g. Item 3, Annex 2

On Thursday, Cllr Carol Runciman called on the Chief Executive to ensure:

1.Every household in York will receive information on these proposals – we would suggest a leaflet delivered to every property outlining the details of the Plan, links to further information, and links to the consultation.

2. A meeting of the Local Plan Working Group will be organised to review the consultation documents to ensure that they provide fair and balanced information to residents.

3. All supporting documents will be put in the public domain as quickly as possible e.g. the technical work carried out by ARUP and full information on the ‘Call for Sites’ (including detailed information on why sites were rejected).