YORK has been without any form of local plan for far too long. The immediate reaction to the draft plan which was put out to public consultation earlier this week, therefore, must be one of relief that we have finally, after years of political squabbling, got to this stage.

That said, we would advise people interested in the future of York - and that should be everyone lucky enough to live here, surely? - to have a close look at the draft. This document will, after all, help to shape the way the city develops for years to come.

The most pressing need, perhaps, is for housing. In an attempt to ensure the city gets the number of new homes it needs, the plan outlines proposals for three new ‘garden villages’: one west of Elvington Lane, one east of Metcalfe Lane near Osbaldwick, and one west of Wigginton Road.

All three would be on greenfield land. This is not ideal, given how much brownfield land remains in York. But given the slow progress on both York Central and the British Sugar site, they may offer the best way of delivering the homes we need within a reasonable timescale.

All three ‘garden villages’ would include their own primary schools and other facilities. And as the York Environment Forum, which supports the proposals with some reservations, points out, they would enable new homes to be built without using up all the spare land in the city. There will be many who disagree with this philosophy. If so, now is the time to say so. But no plan such as this is ever going to please everyone. The key thing now is to get on with the consultation process, take on board any necessary amendments - and then get the plan approved and adopted without further delay.