WITH many contentious projects now in doubt, council officers are busily redrafting Labour’s Local Plan. Also, committees are being rebalanced to reflect the council’s new political make-up.

These officers must follow closely the updated guidelines for the protection of green belts issued by the Minister for Communities and Local Government, Eric Pickles.

They should not be influenced by Ed Miliband’s green-belt report, written by Sir Michael Lyons, which states – “many cities face extreme challenges in accessing land to grow to accommodate homes; tightly drawn boundaries may necessitate working with neighbouring authorities; and some green belts are not always of high environmental or amenity value”.

This will encourage land grab and house building on or the other side of the green belt. Sound familiar? It’s called urban sprawl. Historic cities quoted were Cambridge, Bristol, Oxford, and York.

Geoffrey Widdows, East Mount Road, York