York Outer MP Julian Sturdy: “I was hugely disappointed to hear of the council’s plan to drive a horse and cart through our existing Green Belt protection. I am deeply concerned that the draft Local Plan has the potential to destroy the character and environment of our great city’s rural setting.

“After meeting with a number of parish councillors from across my constituency last night, I am all too aware of their strong desire to see development kept to an absolute minimum within York’s Green Belt.

"However, the ruling Labour group in the council appear to be flying in the face of all those who want to protect our Green Belt, by proposing to build 1,090 homes per year, around a 40 per cent increase on the previous Local Development Framework targets. York simply does not have the infrastructure to enable them to deliver this target. They will only be able to achieve it by carving up our Green Belt and ignoring the wishes of the vast majority of my constituents.

“I will now be strongly urging the local authority to engage in a proper and full consultation with local residents and parish councils. In the interests of democracy, they must act in accordance with their wishes.”

 

Coun Ian Gillies, leader of City of York Council's Conservative group: "It is disappointing the proposals have been prepared in secrecy without input from councillors, particularly in rural areas.

"We acknowledge York is a vibrant, growing city, with a need to provide adequate housing provision to underpin economic growth, but the proposals will have a big impact on some communities, particularly the significant intrusion into what is currently regarded as the Green Belt.

"I would urge all residents, particularly in the villages, to engage in the consultation process, and those submitting the plan to take notice of the views submitted to at least gain a degree of consensus."

 

Coun Ann Reid, planning and sustainability spokeswoman for City of York Council's Liberal Democrat group: "There are many housing sites here which were rejected by the previous Lib Dem administration, but are now threatened by Labour.

"We will continue to vigorously oppose a dramatic expansion of the urban area to include sites such as Moor Lane in Woodthorpe and north of Monks Cross. We will oppose the building in village areas such as Haxby or Dunnington, and are hugely concerned about the proposals for a completely new ‘Holme Hill’ settlement south of Heslington Village – an idea which Labour previously claimed was unsustainable.

"Our administration focused sustainable growth on previously developed commercial sites such as the former British Sugar works, while protecting green belt land and ensuring adequate infrastructure was in place. Labour has today completely ripped up this approach."

 

Ian Hessay, managing director of Linden Homes for Yorkshire and North East Lincolnshire: “York has the strongest housing market in my operational area, but we need to ensure this market continues to be fluent for future generations.

"York’s affordable housing targets support this and are extremely reasonable and achievable compared to surrounding authorities whose targets are 40 per cent, such as Selby and Ryedale, and particularly considering the average selling price in York is higher than these.

“However, in order to address the increasing population of York in 20 to 30 years' time while addressing the increasing demand for more housing. we need more sites to come forward for potential development.”

 

Paul Newman, managing director of Barratt & David Wilson Homes Yorkshire East: “Aided by a significant undersupply of new homes in the area over recent years, the housing market in York remains strong and we continue to see a great demand for our new homes.

“We now need to concentrate on delivering more homes in York to allow us to move forward and help meet challenging new homes targets sooner rather than later.

"I hope many more landowners will be willing to consider bringing their land to the market after seeing York’s recently-reduced affordable housing targets are the most reasonable in the region and now is the time to come forward.”

 

Osbaldwick councillor Mark Warters: "I will oppose the plans for new housing to the east of Metcalfe Lane at every stage, on the basis of a parish poll carried out following the approval for the Derwenthorpe development in the Osbaldwick area.

"In that poll, 83 per cent of parishioners voted against further greenfield land development in this area, and I would question why the council needs to be expanding a small historic city like York. The local authority seems to be engaged in heaping up York's own funeral pyre."

 

Green group councillor Dave Taylor: "The previous housing target for York was 850 new homes a year, and that was unattainable and not viable, so I cannot see how more than 1,000 new homes a year will be any more viable.

"Additional housing sites must be sustainable and accessible by public transport. I do not have concerns about development in the Green Belt if it is easily accessed by public transport, and a good feature of the plan is that it does not attempt undermine the green wedges of land coming into the city."

 

Terry Smithson, Yorkshire Wildlife Trust's north and east director of operations: “We will be looking carefully at the housing proposals for York announced in the Local Plan.

“Should these proposals directly affect and impact the greatly valued green spaces of York, we will have due concerns relating to their development and the environment they might impact on. Of particular concern would be any development proposed close to Askham Bog Nature Reserve, Yorkshire Wildlife Trust's very first site which led to our creation in 1946. The special and rare habitat found on this nature reserve is of national importance which could be threatened by future development.”

 

Nick Emmerson, Liberal Democrat Prospective Parliamentary Candidate for York Outer: “While we recognise the need to develop land to keep pace with the natural growth of the city, these plans go further than anybody anticipated and would fundamentally change the unique character of York and its Green Belt setting.

"In the past, residents have overwhelmingly opposed Green Belt development, and in the coming months it is crucial that we work to stop plans for any inappropriate growth on our countryside. We are asking the council to guarantee that they plan to carry out a genuine consultation, will contact every household in York about their final plans, and will act on the feedback.”