Huntington is excellently represented by three Liberal Democrat councillors - but the exclusion of land at New Lane, Huntington, and not "Derwenthorpe", from development plans is more a matter of history than, as D Spaven suggests, the quality of representation on the council (May 2).

The allocation of the "Derwenthorpe" site for housing goes back to 1987 when it was proposed for housing and open space in the draft Southern Ryedale Local Plan.

As county councillor I organised a petition in 1991 to have the land included in the green belt and was successful to the extent that it was included as such in the deposit draft of the York Green Belt Local Plan.

Unfortunately, a combination of Labour and Conservative county councillors overturned the county council's support for its green belt status, leading to the inspector confirming its allocation for housing and open space in the York green belt public inquiry in 1993.

The "housing" allocation has continued throughout the different stages of the draft York Local Plan from its first draft in 1998.

The allocation of the New Lane site for housing was about as long-lived as my success in getting the land to the west of Metcalfe Lane included in the green belt. It was introduced in February 2003 and removed (after the change in administration) in April 2004.

Inclusion in successive draft plans, especially if endorsed at public inquiry, gives a proposed allocation a status for planning purposes way above a proposal (such as the Huntington one) which had not even been the subject of public consultation.

That is why I have argued for more open space and an eastern road access for the development rather than opposing development altogether.

Jonathon Morley,

Hempland Lane, Heworth, York.

Updated: 11:30 Thursday, June 16, 2005