House building numbers and sites: “Give residents the full facts” say Lib Dems

Liberal Democrat councillors say that public consultation on controversial housing plans should be delayed until residents are given the full facts.

Green Belt campaign logo

Last year Labour run York Council published its ‘Draft Local Plan’ which outlined proposals to build 22,000 houses on sites across York, including 16,000 in the Green Belt. Last week the Labour Cabinet approved a report for public consultation which earmarked further sites and recommended boundary changes on sites identified last year.

However, the public consultation papers do not include housing numbers either for the new sites or amended housing numbers for the revised sites. Consultation papers last year included housing numbers. Controversially, many of the new sites are on Green Belt land.

The Council have also failed to update their plan numbers to take into account over 1000 homes, which have been granted planning permission for housing during the last year, and which are on sites which were not included when the Draft Local Plan was published 12 months ago.

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Nearly half of planning appeals against York Council decisions are successful

5 of the 12 appeals against York Council decisions on planning applications – considered during the first 3 months of this year – were successful.

At 42% the rate of appeals allowed is above the national annual average of around 33% and higher than the previous quarter figure for York of 18%.

Overall for the last 12 months 27% of appeals were successful.

The Government announced last year that it will use appeals performance in identifying poor performing planning authorities, with a view to the introduction of special measures and direct intervention in planning matters within the worst performing authorities. This is now in place for Planning Authorities where more than 70% of appeals against refusal of permission for major applications are allowed

Most of the successful appeals were against the decisions of Council officials who took them under delegated powers.

A full list of the planning applications which went for appeal can be read here One successful appeal allows the owner of Penn House in St Marys to clean the outside of what is a Listed building!

Blue Bridge hotel

Blue Bridge hotel

The results of appeals on a further 15 refusals of planning permission are awaited. They include plans to erect 102 dwellings on land to the north of Brecks Lane, Strensall.

NB. A meeting taking place next week is being recommended to approve the conversion of the Blue Bridge hotel in Fishergate into 11 flats and one house.  This is another brownfield site not included in Labours Local Plan as suitable for residential accommodation. The application further erodes the cae for building on Green Belt land.