Force politicians to wake up to reality (From York Press)

Force politicians to wake up to reality

11:33am Saturday 20th October 2012 in Letters

AT LAST the Government has recognised the shambles that is York’s planning department and its policymakers.

York was picked out for special treatment as being slow and inefficient. Nowhere else was mentioned at all, so why York?

Because 40 years for a LDF policy and literally millions of pounds chucked down the drain, which was then torpedoed for political purposes, is a shambles in anyone’s books.

Regardless of the stadium decision, this politically manipulated document would have had to be withdrawn anyway as the inspector made clear at his preliminary discussion.

York council is not capable of writing a fair document based on the evidence and facts as they allow political ideology to affect their views.

If Coun Dave Merritt does not wish to see the truth along with other councillors and planners, it’s about time central government allowed us to bypass this planning shambles and let applications be dealt with by a third-party inspector.

So please, central government, bring it on and force York’s politicians to wake up to the reality of their actions or be bypassed, as any failing system should.

John Reeves, Tadcaster Road, York.