EIGHT homes can be built on a greenfield site in York after developers won an appeal against council planners’ decision to reject the scheme.

City of York Council blocked an application by Hogg the Builder for housing between Westview Close and a sports field in Westfield in June, saying it would be “inappropriate development” in the green belt.

The decision has now been overturned by Government planning inspector David Cullingford, who said the site “serves no obvious green belt function” and did not need to stay as open space.

Dafydd Williams, Labour councillor for Westfield, said the appeal showed the council needed an adopted Local Plan development blueprint to prevent such sites being built on, despite controversy over the draft plan which would lead to thousands of homes potentially being built on York’s currently unofficial green belt.

“It shows adherence to the Government’s planning policy is not enough and, without a defined green belt, areas of the city will be open to this type of development,” he said.

“The decision essentially said that, until a Local Plan is adopted, this type of decision will be at the discretion of a planning inspector, highlighting the importance of concluding the Local Plan process as quickly as possible.”