A DEVELOPER behind plans for a 1,753 home garden village north of York has vowed to press ahead - despite the scheme meeting widespread opposition.

Reacting to the proposal, City of York Council leader David Carr said it was not in the draft Local Plan and would not be included "at this time".

One local councillor also branded the plan "foolhardy" and York Outer MP Julian Sturdy said he would make "strong representations" against the development's inclusion in the Local Plan.

Martin Hawthorne, of Galtres Garden Village Development Company, defended the company's plan for the 93-hectare site.

He said: “Our scheme would address the city’s urgent housing shortfall in a garden setting and we believe will help to ensure that the new proposed Local Plan meets the approval of the Independent Inspector.

“We can start work almost immediately and would hope we can collaborate with the council’s new Housing Development Company to bring the mixed tenure housing and care village that is needed, along with a school, shops and transport links. We have redrawn our plans from last year in consultation with Earswick and Huntington communities and all the housing would be contained in a village well away from the other settlements.

“This would reduce traffic pressures, while piecemeal development increases this.

“We would also be creating a country park with amenities that would attract wildlife.”

Council leader Cllr Carr said: “Without commenting on the merits or lack thereof of this particular plan, this is simply one developer’s submission to the Local Plan consultation, and a late one at that. This project is not included in the draft local plan, which makes the developer’s proposal somewhat misleading, and we have no intention of incorporating it into our plan at this time.”

Strensall ward Conservative Councillors Paul Doughty and Helen Douglas dismissed the proposal, close to the A1237/A64, as “foolhardy” and said the infrastructure and road networks could not cope.

Councillor Doughty said: “My ward colleague and I have sought swift assurance from the council that these foolhardy proposals will not be included in the Local Plan and we condemn attempts by agents to slip this in to the Local Plan at the eleventh hour. Our MP Julian Sturdy, I and too many villagers to mention did not fight tooth and nail to squash previous plans for 2,000 homes at Earswick to stand by and watch another greenbelt grab adjacent potentially included.”

Mr Sturdy added: “I will be raising this as an urgent item to give strong representation against any possible inclusion when I meet with City Council officials on Friday but it is reassuring to hear confirmation that it is not included in the draft Local Plan."

One of the Huntington and New Earswick ward councillors Keith Orrell said: “It would be a great concern if a further large site were to be included in the Local Plan at this late stage. It could lead to the need for further consultation and the potential to delay sending the plan to the Government. If this happened the Government have threatened to send in bureaucrats from London to impose their plan on York.”

He added: “In relation to the Huntington and New Earswick area there has been considerable development in recent years.

“Nearly 200 homes have been built along with the Vanguard shopping complex which has caused a large increase in traffic on our local roads.

“The stadium development has now started which will further increase retail outlets as well as the daily use of the Community Stadium. Whilst local Liberal Democrat councillors secured a number of assurances about improved traffic management there is little doubt that traffic levels will increase yet again.

“In addition the land on Monks Cross Drive has been allocated over 900 houses in the Local Plan.

“Cllr Runciman, Cllr Cullwick and myself believe that our area is providing the city with a disproportionate amount of development. As one resident put it to me ‘enough is enough’.”

And Cllr Doughty added: “We are likely to have in excess of 600 future homes on the Queen Elizabeth II Barracks site when the MoD leave and coupled with already likely known future Local Plan development proposals at Huntington and Monks Cross, the point has been reached where we have to say enough is enough for our local communities at this side of York.

“The pressure on local services and infrastructure, particularly our road network, simply cannot cope.”