York is set to adopt its first Local Plan for 69 years – which aims to kickstart homebuilding in the city.
Work to draft a new Local Plan began in 2018 under the council’s then Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition administration.
It is finally set to go before City of York Council, now run by Labour, next Thursday (27 February).
The Local Plan in Brief
The Local Plan aims to provide a comprehensive strategy for:
- Delivering 20,000 new homes over the duration of the plan, including a significant proportion of affordable housing.
- Allocating sites for economic growth, including areas for employment and retail expansion.
- Investing in sustainable transport infrastructure, including improved bus routes, cycling paths, and EV charging stations.
- Mitigating and adapting to climate change with enhanced green infrastructure, flood defences, and energy-efficient building standards.
- Safeguarding York’s historic and cultural heritage while ensuring new development respects the city’s unique character.
- Setting the city’s green belt and protecting the historic setting for the first time.
The plan allocates sites for house building, economic development and provides the basis for deciding planning applications.
It sets out development in York until 2038, defines the green belt for the first time and outlines how the city’s historic character should be protected.
As well as new homes, the Local Plan details employment sites and investment in new transport infrastructure including improved bus, walking and cycling routes and electric vehicle charging stations.
The vote on whether to adopt the Local Plan follows an independent examination by a Government inspector who put forward modifications to housing allocations, green belt boundaries, and transport infrastructure planning.
Council housing lead Cllr Michael Pavlovic said the seven years of work that had gone into the plan provided confidence that York had a strategic vision for its future.
The executive member said: “This will protect the green belt and deliver the housing and economic benefits that this city requires, including a significant uplift in affordable housing.
“It’s been a long but worthwhile process, the fact it’s taken so long is indicative of York’s unique and special character as a city.”
Council leader Cllr Douglas said the plan provided a clear roadmap for development that would meet the needs of residents and businesses over the next decade.
She said: “Developers are lining up to get going, they’ve been waiting for a long time and people in York know we need more homes so their children and grandchildren can live here and so that university graduates can stay and work here too.”
Cllr Nigel Ayre, leader of the council’s Liberal Democrat opposition, also welcomed the adoption of the Plan which began life when his party were in administration with the Conservatives.
Cllr Ayre said: “We will finally have a plan that will deliver the homes York needs whilst protecting our greenbelt and helping to deliver vital infrastructure.
“I encourage all councillors to vote to pass the Local Plan and then stick to it.”