Council set to fight plans for 300 homes on York green belt

City of York Council looks set to fight plans to build a 300-home development on green belt land north-east of York at a public inquiry.

But the authority’s officers have said a 970-home development nearby would be acceptable if certain issues are resolved.

Public inquiries are to be held into the two projects after developers in both cases appealed to the Secretary of State to intervene, claiming the council was taking too long to make a decision.

New council papers show what arguments the authority intends to make to the planning inspectorate.

Officers state that the 300-home development next to the LNER stadium, off New Lane in Huntington, should not go ahead.

According to their report: “The proposal would result in a permanent detrimental impact on [the] openness of the green belt due to its scale and location and would conflict with the green belt’s purposes.”

Barratt David Wilson Homes are behind the plans, which would also see footpaths created between New Lane and the stadium complex.

But officers have taken a different view of a 970-home garden village-style development west of Monks Cross Link Road, just over a mile away, despite it also being in the green belt.

They state: “It is considered the lack of a five year housing land supply, along with the delivery of affordable housing and delivery of key infrastructure, would, subject to the satisfactory resolution of transport, highway and access issues, clearly outweigh the totality of identified harm and very special circumstances would exist in this case.”

Redrow Homes are behind the plans, which would also include a new primary school, a children’s play area, a convenience store and a new country park.

Both developers cited York’s lack of a local plan – which sets out where and what types of development can take place in the city for the next 20 years-  when submitting their appeals to the planning inspector.

The draft proposals have been hit by delays, with the Government intervening and warning the city council over its “persistent failures” to introduce a long-term vision for development.

Councillors will vote on the officers’ proposals at a meeting on Thursday, November 4.