Labour’s Green Belt Threat Revealed

At the Full Council meeting last night Labour revealed their plans to massively increase the number of houses built in the city over the next twenty years, putting our local green belt land under threat of development.

They want to increase house building targets from 575 homes per year to more than 800. Such a high number couldn’t be accommodated by using brown field sites and so would put the green belt under pressure.

When challenged by Lib Dem Councilors, Labour were unable to say where the extra homes would be built and astonishingly Labour Councillor Dave Merrett said people wanting to protect the green belt were NIMBYs and the development was necessary to keep businesses happy.

Liberal Democrat Councillors in Westfield have been fighting to protect the green belt from development for many years. They have been doing this because local residents have consistently and strongly told us they do not want to see development on the green belt.

For the Labour group to be so dismissive of the views of local people is very worrying and gives a stark warning about their approach to the city if they were to control the council. Only the Lib Dems are in a position to prevent Labour giving the go ahead to development on our green belt.

Number 4 ftr bus service safe from Labour cuts

The Council meetign held last night heard that Labour will not be able to carry out their threat to scrap the number 4 ftr bus service. Officials told us that the Council has very limited powers to specify vehicle types on commercial services. If a Low Emission Zone was put in place then this may be used to restrict access to certain vehicles including buses. Height/weight/length restrictions can be applied which would limit vehicle types. First could remove the ftr fleet at the end of the current agreement (june) but equally the service may continue unchange or be expanded.
The Council also heard that – against the national trend – use of bus services in York was stable. Total passengers trips in recent years have been:

2009/10 14,774,492
2008/09 15,334,448
2007/08 14,853,143
2006/07 15,144,371
2005/06 14,493,549