AN expert report which said City of York Council should go for higher housing targets ignored the impact of Brexit and growing student numbers, councillors say.

Property consultants GL Hearn were hired by the city council to assess York’s housing need, but ruling councillors caused controversy by opting for the experts’ “base line” figure of 867 houses a year, rejecting a 10 per cent uplift to help make up for previous undersupply.

This week Labour councillors called for that decision to be overturned, and the party’s Cllr Fiona Derbyshire accused Lib Dems and Conservatives of wasting money by paying for advice they would then ignore, and of failing key workers by not providing for enough housing.

York Press:

Council leader David Carr said the advice had in fact been carefully considered, before ruling councillors decided against the higher figures.

He said the report ignored the potential changes Brexit could bring, and didn’t take into account growing student numbers in York. Cllr Carr went on to say the higher housing targets would hit the “special character” of York.

Lib Dem Cllr Nigel Ayre also dismissed claims that the lack of a Local Plan could in fact put the greenbelt in even greater danger, saying cases had already shown York’s old greenbelt boundaries were still respected by planning law. Cllr Ann Reid said allocating more land would not necessarily mean developers building more - and it would be very difficult to “build our way out of high house prices”.

Councillors voted not to push for any changes, but Labour’s Cllr Dafydd Williams pledged to keep voicing his “genuine disagreement” over the need for more homes in York.