THE CITY OF YORK LOCAL PLAN
The City of York Local Plan, which is being developed, will, when adopted, set strategic priorities for the whole city for the next 15-20 years. It forms the basis for planning decisions and will be reviewed at regular intervals. It will adhere to national policies.
The plan can be found on the City of York Council website:
https://www.york.gov.uk/info/20051/planning_policy/710/new_local_plan
The plan is contained in one booklet but there are 20 appendices which give the evidence behind each decision together with detailed maps.
There are no significant plans for our Parish bu we will be affected by two Spatial Strategies:
Policy SS2 The Role of York’s Green Belt (page 31)
Policy SS9 Land East of Metcalfe Lane (page 45)
The Parish Council has submitted comments on both of these policies and these are given on this web site.
If you wish to comments on these and anything else in the Local Plan, there are forms on the City Council’s web site and our Clerk will be able to help if necessary. Comments have be in by midnight of October 30th.
Policy SS2: The Role of York’s Green Belt
Murton Parish Council, in considering the Local Plan, find Policy SS2 to be a robust affirmation of the Green Belt as applied to York, recognising its primary purpose is ‘to preserve the setting and the special character of York’.
We also recognise that the explanation on page 31, together with Sections 8, 9 and 10, will be invaluable in guiding the Parish Council with planning decisions and recommendations.
However, all the proposals depend on implementation and our recent experiences suggest that more resources (and a greater will) for enforcement are badly needed.
Policy SS9: Land east of Metcalfe Lane (ST7)
Although this area is not in Murton Parish, its development will affect it. We will restrict ourselves to two specific aspects.
One is the overall environmental impact on the City and our Parish and the second is the impact on the Parish and neighbouring parishes by the increased traffic on already congested roads.
We are deeply influenced by the Policy SS2: The Role of York’s Green Belt in which it is declared that
‘The Green Belt’s prime purpose is that of preserving the setting and special character of York’.
Murton Parish Council welcomes this bold statement and it is against this and Policy SS1: Delivering Sustainable Growth for York that we have considered the proposals for Policy SS9.
- The environmental impact on the City.
‘ In the detailed Appraisal Stage: Preferred Sites Consultation, CYC admits that ‘Development may obscure landmarks such as the Minster and that the view is indeed a Key View (No 5)’, suggesting that ‘Further views analysis is needed against the proposed development plans’ and ‘Significant views should be respected within proposed schemes’.
Later in the Appraisal, it is noted that ‘Development will also impact upon views out of York towards the rural areas and neighbouring villages’ and it is noted that ‘Further analysis needed of views should be retained from the site’ and ‘Strong landscaped edge needed to the development primarily on the eastern edge’.
Murton Parish Council is also concerned about the impact on Murton itself. In section 6.7, the Appraisal report says
Although the distances between Murton and York will be decreased by development on this site, the proposed boundaries are such that a reasonable gap between the ring road, Murton and York’s urban area will remain.