Agenda item
Local Plan
Cllr Aspden will give an overview of the sites identified in the ward as part of the Local Plan Preferred sites consultation.
Minutes:
- Cllr Aspden gave an update on the current version of the Local Plan. It was outlined that the current consultation (which included a number of drop in and Ward Committee sessions) ran until Monday (12th September 2016) and residents and both Parish Councils were urged to respond to the consultation.
- Cllr Aspden stressed the need for York to put a Local Plan in place, partly due to the need to provide protection for York’s Green Belt, alongside the implications of central government imposing their own plan in York.
- Cllr Aspden then explained the specific sites in Fulford and Heslington before opening the meeting to questions and comments.
- Fulford Parish Council (Mary Urmston) gave the first comment, saying that the Parish Council was drafting a response to the consultation. Fulford Parish Council was going to support the plan in the reduction of overall housing numbers and protection to the Green Belt, but were raising a number of specific points. The points included:
· Welcoming the removal of certain sites, such as those around Fulford Designer Outlet and Naburn Lane.
· Objecting to certain sites, such as Land to the West of Elvington Lane. Noting that although the site has moved further away there are still concerns it will have a significant impact on traffic.
- Heslington Parish Council (David Blacketer) reported that it will be meeting on the 8th September to pull together a local plan response but thanked Cllr Aspden for the update as it will provide the opportunity to further reflect on the plan.
- Cllr Aspden acknowledged the fact that neighbouring parish councils need to be working together to form a stronger argument
Q- Where will the road run through for the Elvington site, will fields be lost, and what are the implications for local residents?
A – There has been no final decision as this will be subject to further detailed work and any planning applications. However, in the planning guidance within the Local Plan consultation there will be two access points – off the A64 and the A1237.
Q – Have discussions been undertaken with the Highways Agency regarding A64 access?
A – Through discussion led by the developers it has been identified as an achievable option; however the Highways Agency will need to be in agreement.
Q – Has a full sustainability appraisal been undertaken at this stage?
A – The Local Plan included a range of documents forming a thorough evidence base, including the Preferred Sites Consultation Sustainability Appraisal July 2016.
Q – In the Local Plan, how will the order of site development be prioritised?
A – It was explained that within the Local Plan documents, the goal is for brownfield development to be prioritised before Green field options.
Q- Is there any further information on the Germany Beck Development?
A- Germany Beck has been granted planning permission and work has already commenced on the development. The number of houses has been taken into consideration whilst formulating the local plan. If residents have any concerns with the ongoing development it was suggested that they should contact the developers, Cllr Aspden, or Fulford Parish Council.
Q – A number of questions were asked regarding site H56 off Hull Road. Cllr Aspden agreed to direct these to Council officers and email the residents with the information.
Q – Why are more houses to be offered up for student accommodation ?
A – It was reported that although CYC cannot stop a type of housing being offered over time, it is projected that as a result of student developments housing options will be returned for resident and family use.
Millie Beach, President of the University of York Students’ Union, pledged to work alongside local residents to address concerns that students and local residents share. She added that the Students’ Union equally had concerns about the number of private student housing options as these were increasingly seen as too expensive.
Q – There are already issues with air pollution on Main Street.
A – It was acknowledged that there a number of air quality management areas, including Main Street and the Fulford Road corridor. There is the option to install further monitoring equipment and another local resident reported that you can approach Andrew Gillah at City of York Council for regular readouts of air quality.
Q – Could York be recognised as a special case that is identified as a compact city which needs to protect its historic green belt?
A – Cllr Aspden agreed that the case needed to be made to protect York’s historic identity. National methodology restricts the ability of York to allocate housing to brownfield land alone. The broad approach of the new Local Plan has been to identify a robust evidence base for new housing figures, and to prioritise brownfield development ahead of green field.
Q – Have CYC explored the option of working with other local authorities to build houses on borders?
A – Yes, Council officers have been tasked with continuing to discuss the Local Plan with neighbouring local authorities as the consultation progresses.
Cllr Aspden finished the discussion by encouraging local residents to complete the consultation forms before the deadline of the 12th September at 5pm.