Agenda and minutes

Welcome and Introductions

Cllr Chris Steward welcomed everyone to the meeting and introduced himself and Cllr Paul Healey. He gave apologies for Cllr Ian Gillies who was unable to attend.

Laura Smith, one of the ward’s  PCSO’s was invited to give an update to the meeting:

Crime is down by 4.6% on last year. There have been burglaries at Station Rise in Poppleton at the Business Park and a couple of attempted garage burglaries. There have been 2 reported incidences of Anti Social Behaviour in Copmanthorpe. Cllr C Steward thanked Laura for coming.

Have Your Say – Local Plan proposals

Cllr Steward explained that this was a meeting of the Residents Forum (previously Ward Committee) on the Local Plan proposals.

Since the announcement of the proposals the parish councils and local groups had been busy working on their responses. He explained as background that York is required to have a Local Plan and that it was how the City is meant to grow. However it is a key area for debate and has taken a long time to be produced. There are 3 areas of the Local Plan:

·        22,200 homes over 15 years (relevant to Rural West Ward: Rufforth/Poppleton/Copmanthorpe)

·        4 traveller sites (relevant to Rural West Ward: Knapton 20 pitches)

·        40 windfarms (relevant to Rural West ward: Copmanthorpe/Rufforth)

There was a call for sites to landowners who put in bids and regardless of whether they are suitable or not at this stage they have all been included for consultation. With regards to the proposals for the windfarm sites, this has been done by a computer generated search, rather than landowners.

We are now in the first consultation phase running between 5^th June – 31 July 2013. Various forms of consultation are available for residents to use eg petitions, consultation events, online etc The City of York Council will then consider the feedback and any new sites submitted. A new draft Local Plan will then be written and in another consultation will take place in early 2014. The Planning Inspector will then examine it.

Cllr Steward explained that whilst his party supported York having a Local Plan the scale of the proposals was not achievable.

Cllr Paul Healey then summarised the proposals which affect Copmanthorpe. For example the proposed area west of Manor Health dropping down to Moor Lane.  Approximately 600 new homes proposed therefore making it a 35-40% increase in the village.

Cllr Steward then summarised the proposals which affect Knapton, regarding a show people field bounded by the ring road with 20 pitches.

Cllr Steward invited questions from residents:

Question 1: what does affordable housing mean?

In response: Its CYC policy to have affordable housing so as part of any private house building development the company has to make a percentage of the houses more affordable. On greenbelt lands its 35% affordable, on brown belt its 25%.

Question 2: Copmanthorpe cannot take a further 600 houses. It  ...  view the full minutes text for item 1.