YORK residents may soon be able to scrutinise controversial draft plans that could pave the way for the development of hundreds of acres of green field sites across the city.

Councillors moved the draft of York's new Local Plan one stage closer to full public consultation when they agreed on a third revision of the document.

The plan includes proposals to reserve sites at Haxby, Clifton Moor, Monks Cross and land west of Chapelfields for housing and business development to be used after 2011.

It could be published as soon as December after members of the council's planning committee and green belt working group voted the modified plan through.

Liberal Democrat councillors continued to oppose the plan because of the impact it could have on the city's green belt, traffic congestion and some local amenities.

Planning spokesperson Coun Ann Reid said the Government was expecting York to provide a greater number of houses than was possible without compromising the setting of the city.

She said: "The more houses we build the more employment we need to provide, which will again use green field sites. We need to ensure that our policies encourage developments to be as environmentally friendly and sustainable as possible.

Huntington councillor Peter Vaughan (Lib Dem) criticised the Plan for placing much of the "burden" of development on the Huntington ward, which includes the Monks Cross complex.

Officers have submitted a provisional timetable for the plan's progress which sees a six-week consultation period beginning in December or January before feedback is analysed and the public inquiry reconvened late next year.

Updated: 12:13 Friday, November 01, 2002