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

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 (including in New Earswick) and recommended boundary changes on sites identified last year (including North of Monks Cross and New Lane). 

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.

Huntington & New Earswick Liberal Democrat Councillor Carol Runciman has ‘called-in’ the decision, along with Cllrs Nigel Ayre and Ann Reid, to begin public consultation without the housing numbers. The issue will now be re-examined at a cross-party scrutiny meeting on Monday 12^th May.

Cllr Ann Reid, Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Planning, commented: 

“It would be inappropriate for public consultation to begin until residents are given the full facts. New sites have been identified, but the Labour council has refused to reveal how many houses it plans for these site. Meanwhile some of the sites recommended last year have increased in size, but again the council has refused to publish amended housing numbers. The council has also failed to reveal proper infrastructure plans for the new sites. 

“All this means it is very difficult for residents to know the scale of housing and development that is planned for specific locations. Clearly, whether the plan is to build 20 or 2,000 houses on a site is going to make a substantial difference to what people think about it. At the moment Labour are asking people for their views on proposals without giving them the full details. Many residents will understandably wonder what Labour is trying to hide by doing this. 

“Labour should amend the papers to include the housing numbers and infrastructure plans and then begin the public consultation.”