The banana people

In a discussion on the framework for the draft York Local Plan, Barry accused the council of "decimating" the Green Belt, whether by incompetence or malice.

He supported this extraordinary and ludicrous assertion not by reasoned argument or quoting facts and figures but by attempting a clumsy conjuring trick with his hankie.

It is fair to say that this impressed none of the assembled councillors. He then went on to make his point about the difference between housing "aspirations" and housing "needs".

His thesis was, essentially, that when a child grew to adulthood and "aspired" to have a house of his or her own, this couldn't be considered to be a "need" (if this meant taking even an inch of green space) as they could be made to carry on living with their parents.

Similarly, estranged couples could be made to continue cohabiting rather than allowed to separate.

It wasn't even clear to me whether he considered that the homeless "needed" a house providing they had the benefit of a reasonably comfortable cardboard box somewhere.

My response, that these views could only be described as "eco-fascism", very far from being "bluster", seems with hindsight rather mild.

If indeed this was "one of the most satisfying moments of (his) life", then Barry must lead a far sadder existence than I hitherto imagined.

I don't recall a single development anywhere in the city where Barry and his group expressed themselves in favour.

No one would describe Barry and his little group as NIMBYs. They are, of course, the BANANA people. Build Absolutely Nothing Anywhere Near Anything.

Martin Brumby,

East Parade, York.

Updated: 10:09 Tuesday, July 27, 2004