WHERE should a proposed new village of 3,000 homes to the west of York go?

That’s the million dollar question.

Until now, there have been two main contenders: a site between Green Hammerton and Kirk Hammerton known as ‘Great Hammerton’; and a rival site on a disused golf course at Flaxby.

Now, however, Harrogate planners have opened the door to a third option - the proposed ‘Maltkiln village’ near Cattal, which they say should also be fully considered. This has delighted Oakgate, the developers behind the Maltkin scheme. But it has put the Keep Green Hammerton Green group, which has been campaigning hard against the Great Hammerton option, in a bit of a quandary.

They have always argued that a new village of 3,000 homes at Great Hammerton - which would require a new bypass - would put enormous strain on local facilities and on the already-congested A59.

Their preferred option has always been the Flaxby site, where they point out there is already an access roundabout off the A59. Chris Chelton of Keep Green Hammerton Green said his group was disappointed that Harrogate Borough Council still seemed bent on considering a site near the Hammertons.

His group would need more details about Maltkiln and its impact before formulating a proper response, he said. We understand their frustration.

Wherever you build a new community of 3,000 homes, there will be some problems. But it does seem to us odd that Harrogate planners seem so reluctant to go with the Flaxby site. It has much of the roads infrastructure that would be needed already in place, and is further away from existing villages.

It would seem a sensible choice. But there is clearly a long way to go on this yet.