IN SELECTING the current Local Plan, developers claim City of York Council has potentially lost 500 affordable homes.

Martin Hawthorne from the Galtres Garden Village Development Company told councillors at the meeting on Tuesday the development would commit to providing "30 per cent affordable homes" to the authority.

He said: "Rather than selling the 500 affordable homes to a housing association, we will offer them to the council. This could enhance the prospects of the council's new development company or increase the numbers of existing council homes."

Cllr Ann Reid, who proposed the motion to disregard the officers' recommendations - including the Galtres Garden Village - said the council still had options.

She said: "At this stage of the process, it's much more about identifying the numbers and sites that are suitable rather than saying we will take that site because they are offering us x, y and z.

"For me, personally, it was the suitability of the site that was a deciding factor, rather than what the developer may or may not be offering. Every site is subject to affordability housing rules, which means there will be other sites that will deliver those kind of numbers."

Cllr Reid said the council would look at sites it already owned, such as the former Askham Bar Park&Ride, which has already been allocated for housing.

She said: "The whole of that site is at our control. Obviously there are a variety of affordable tenures [including] for rent, part buy, part rent, all that kind of thing."

Speaking after the meeting, Mr Hawthorne said he was disappointed and there was "a significant shortfall of housing allocation in York that still needs to be addressed".