YORK is being turned into a “West Yorkshire suburb of Leeds” according to a city MP, who said residents must fight council plans to build hundreds of new homes in Copmanthorpe York Outer MP, Julian Sturdy, said he would fight the plan at every stage and urged residents to do the same, as he addressed a packed Copmanthorpe Methodist Hall on Thursday evening.

The plans are part of City of York Council’s draft development plan, which details where 22,000 new homes could be built in and around the city over the next 15 years and beyond.

However, hundreds of Copmanthorpe residents have already signed a petition against the proposals, which could see 600 houses built on the edge of the village, along with a number of huge wind turbines.

Mr Sturdy accused the council of putting the cart before the horse in not ensuring the infrastructure was in place in York to cope with the huge increase in houses.

He said: “The council wants to turn York away from a cathedral city, surrounded by green countryside, into a West Yorkshire suburb of Leeds.

“This plan is completely unsuitable and the infrastructure couldn’t cope.”

He described plans to build 40 new wind farm sites around York as “the icing on the cake”.

The speakers also included local parish councillors and members of City of York Council’s Conservative group.

Conservative leader Ian Gillies told the 280 residents: “It’s not good enough to just say ‘we need to fight this’, we need to put some meat on the bones. I urge you all to do what you can to make your voices heard.”

Martin Grainger, head of integrated strategy at City of York Council, said: "It is made clear in the document that proposals would only be allowed if it could be demonstrated that there will be no significant adverse impacts on landscape character, setting, views, heritage assets and Green Belt objectives and demonstrate benefits for local communities.

"We are inviting people to have their say during the eight-week consultation and this information there will be another opportunity to comment on the Local Plan before it is submitted to Government and, if approved, adopted by 2015."