Residents should have received a booklet detailing the latest Local Plan consultation. Yes another consultation!

This is a Government requirement that has to be carried out before the Local Plan is considered by the Planning Inspector and the Government.

The Government has also decided that all responses to earlier consultations WILL NOT be considered by the Planning Inspector – it is therefore vital that we get your opinions.

There is a standard form provided by the Planning Inspectorate which we believe is not very “user friendly” – you can download a Form on the Council website at www.york.gov.uk/consultations. Or collect from West Offices or Libraries Your local Lib Dem Councillors will be completing the Form in relation to the New Lane site saying we believe the Plan is correct to exclude it from the Plan – that the Plan is therefore “sound”.

To enable us to show the strength of feeling, please fill in the Form delivered with this FOCUS Special and we will include your details in our response.

Barratt Demand

Before the last Council meeting that discussed the Local Plan, Councillors received an email from Barratt Homes.

This email called for the land on New Lane from the cemetery to Jockey Lane to be put back into the Local Plan for them to build over 400 houses.

Residents will remember that Labour Councillors have twice tried to put this land into the Local Plan for housing and on both occasions your Lib Dem Councillors have successfully campaigned to stop this.

There will be a Public Enquiry into the Local Plan proposals which will be conducted by a Planning Inspector.

Barratts have the right to ask the Planning Inspector for this land to be put back into the Plan.

Your Lib Dem Councillors will oppose any such move but we need your help to show that local people do not want this land allocated for housing.

Your Lib Dem Councillors believe the Plan is SOUND in relation to the exclusion of the New Lane land.

If you agree, please fill in the Form delivered with this FOCUS Special and return it to us.

You do not have to give reasons why you think this land should not be built on, but we have always argued that :

• This is the last area of green land in south Huntington following the development of Vangarde and the Stadium retail complex
• Traffic levels have increased significantly since Vangarde opened. Local roads are not suitable for more traffic.
• The people of south Huntington have suffered more than their fair share of development in recent years. This will soon be added to by the Stadium retail complex. It would be inequitable to make you suffer more development.
• This area suffers from poor drainage and sewerage. Further development will only add to these problems.