COUNCILLORS in York have moved quickly to dismiss the "foolhardy" plan for the new garden village in the city - creating more than 1,700 homes.

Strensall ward Conservative Councillor, Paul Doughty and campaigner Sian Wiseman have objected to the aims of the new Galtres Garden Village and vow to fight tooth and nail against the building of 1,700 homes on greenbelt land east of Earswick and north of the A1237 ring road near to Huntington and Earswick.

The Galtres Garden Village Development Company has applied for the scoping plan to City of York Council to build the new site - which would include more than 1,700 new residential dwellings, 40 per cent of which will be affordable housing.

A new primary school, a sports pitch, a village green, communal gardens and recreation and play facilities within a country park will also be built on the new site.

But, Cllr Doughty said he "despairs" that attempts to force through the plan are being made once again.

He said: "We’ve seen recently how developers keep testing the failing Lib Dem-run authority with speculative applications due to their continued next-to-no progress with the Local Plan.

"Developers are buoyed by inaction and see a free for all, with the latest delays to the Local Plan hearings not helping. It has also been suggested to me, anecdotally, that the owners of this greenbelt land may have offered the council use of their land to store equipment and machinery while dualling of the A1237 ring road takes place. That in itself is not a problem but if they believe the council owes them a favour in return for a nod for planning approval it most certainly is.

"I’ll be seeking assurance from the council to confirm that they will not be sanctioning any such backroom deals."

Meanwhile, Sian Wiseman, a parish councillor in Earswick said the "speculative punt" on greenbelt must firmly be ruled out of the question by the council.

"Thousands of homes are already going to be built at Huntington, north of Clifton Moor and at Haxby as part of the local plan and the pressure on local services and infrastructure including the ring road, dualled or not simply will not cope with another 1,700 here," cllr Wiseman added.