City of York Council are carrying out a consultation on the city’s new Local Development Framework Core Strategy, which sets out the development of York over the next 25 years.

The strategy has been recently revised by the new Labour administration, who have increased the housing targets for the city over the next 25 years from a target of 14,000 to more than 19,500.

The previous targets were agreed by the Lib Dem administration before the May elections and ensured that the need for additional housing was balanced with protecting the character of the city and preventing development on the green belt.

Labour’s increased targets however mean there will not be enough brownfield sites to accommodate development and so they have identified land in the green belt to be developed. By indentifying green belt land which can be developed, Labour have set a precedent which will mean it will be more difficult to prevent developers pushing for other areas of the green belt to be released.

You can help to protect York’s green belt by responding to the consultation on the Core Strategy and opposing Labour’s higher housing targets.

The consultation will be available at www.york.gov.uk/LDF/corestrategy  and will run from 26th September to 7th November. Copies of the Core Strategy will also be made available at libraries and Explore Centres, October’s ward committee meetings, 9 St Leonard’s Place, Library Square and the Guildhall

The results of the consultation will be considered by an Independent Planning Inspector, who will be holding a public examination of the Core Strategy in 2012 before deciding if the plan is suitable for the City.