I REFER to Cllr David Horton’s letter of December 12 in which he suggests that if the seriously flawed and publicly unpopular draft Local Plan is not approved, it will lead to an open season for green belt planning applications.

The truth is that York has done without a plan since the 1950s and any failure to approve the current draft will make not one iota of difference to the status quo.

Cllr Horton knows that legal and planning challenges will be deployed by action groups such as ours at Earswick to protect the green belt.

Instance the public inquiry (still to be determined) that took place recently in connection with the proposed Breck’s Lane development at Strensall.

It’s high time the over-estimate of housing need was acknowledged as the current hiatus over the plan, so that it can be resolved for the benefit of York’s residents with the cross-party harmony promised by the new council leader.

The corrected figures show there is an adequate supply of housing for York over the next five years without attacking the green belt.

Let’s move forward on that premise and buy time to examine the next five-year period of need with a cool and clear head.

Allan Charlesworth, Old Earswick, York.