MORE than 1,000 people have so far had their say on controversial plans for York’s future which could see 22,000 new homes built as a public consultation nears its end.

City of York Council’s draft Local Plan envisages building at least 1,090 new homes a year up to 2030, many on green belt land, and residents and businesses have been asked for their views over the last eight weeks.

The consultation period ends tomorrow, after which a final development blueprint will be prepared and submitted to the Government. The council said drop-in events about the plan had each drawn about 200 people, and Martin Grainger, head of integrated strategy and the local plan, said a “large proportion” of comments had focused on plans for new homes in the city’s currently unofficial green belt, other housing sites, traveller’s sites and wind farms.

Information about how to comment on the plan before the deadline can be found at york.gov.uk/localplan and views can be emailed to localplan@york.gov.uk or dropped off at the council’s West Offices HQ.

The Labour-led council says the new homes targets need to be met to boost economic growth, cope with a rising population and make house prices more affordable, but opposition parties claim they are too high and will wreck the countryside around York as well as causing excessive demand on roads and services.

A report on the findings of the consultation will go before the council's Local Plan Working Group in due course.