RESIDENTS of a village on the outskirts of York are set to have a say about the future development of their area.

People in Copmanthorpe are to be asked to comment on the final draft of a village design statement.

The document, the first of its kind to be submitted to City of York Council, will be used to guide future building proposals.

The consultation offers residents the chance to have their say in ensuring that new developments reflect the village's character and fit with the surrounding properties.

Once in place, all future planning proposals for the village would be considered in relation to the report and it will be used to manage long-term change.

Chief planning officer Rod Jones said it was now appropriate to undertake a public consultation exercise.

He said: "This document would be a material planning consideration when considering development within Copmanthorpe."

Councillors are expected to approve plans when they meet next Thursday to begin a wide-ranging consultation exercise with residents of the village.

The six-week long exercise would consider representations from interested parties before presenting a final report to councillors.

Major organisations such as Yorkshire Water and British Telecom as well as York house builders and council service providers will also be approached.

A purposely-formed committee has created the document alongside Copmanthorpe's parish council.

They distributed questionnaires and held meetings and workshops to collect detailed information for the report.

The document contains an analysis of the relationship between landscape and buildings in Copmanthorpe.

It is intended to help developers to understand local views and perceptions at the beginning of the design process.

It is hoped it will enable developers to gain support from residents for new projects rather than generate uniform opposition.

Residents, new occupants and planners are also set to benefit from the document.

Updated: 11:29 Monday, May 27, 2002