IT IS disingenuous of City of York Council to say that criticisms of its proposals to reserve swathes of green-belt land for future housing development only emerged at recent public meetings (The Press, January 23).

A legal opinion from leading counsel of Kings Chambers in London challenging the inclusion of so-called “safeguarded land” in the draft local plan was sent on behalf of Earswick Action Group to Martin Grainger, the head of planning and environmental management for the council as long ago as July 14 last year. And it is a matter of public record that a member of Earswick Action Group summarised the legal advice about “safeguarding” during the public part of the full council meeting on July 17.

Our retained barrister’s legal advice is that the Council’s approach is wrong in seeking to secure a land supply beyond the life of the plan.

A paper prepared for the council’s local plan working group on January 29 refers to a recent legal opinion that has been obtained in support of safeguarding proposals. Worryingly, however, there is no reference to the previous opinion that such actions would be questionable.

I have written to the chief executive of the council pointing out this omission.

Allan Charlesworth, Old Earswick, York.