Public inquiry to be held over plans to build 970-home 'garden village' at Monks Cross near York

Redrow Homes has asked inspectors to step in after submitting plans for the development off Monks Cross Link Road, which would also include a new primary school, a children’s play area, a convenience store and a new country park, back in January 2018.

City of York Council has yet to make any recommendation for the plans for the 146-acre site north of Monks Cross shopping centre.

York’s draft Local Plan sets out where and what types of development can take place in York for the next 20 years and will define the city’s green belt.

The unapproved proposals have been hit by delays, with the Government intervening and warning the city council over its “persistent failures” to introduce a long-term vision for development.

The company submitting the appeal on behalf of Redrow, Johnson Mowat, said in a written statement that a public inquiry was now needed as “housing sites to meet general family needs are severely restricted”.

The statement said: “This Local Plan is significantly delayed and there is no guarantee it will be adopted in the near future or at all.”

It adds: “There is no LPA (local planning authority) in England that has a failed plan making record that comes anywhere close to that of York.”

The statement also claimed there was an “absence of significant levels of local opposition” to the proposals.

At the start of the month it was revealed that developers Barratt are taking their plans to build 300 homes next to the new LNER community stadium - just over a mile away - to government inspectors on the same grounds.

A City of York Council spokesperson said: “This is a non-determination appeal.

“The application was originally submitted with the intention that its determination would align with the adoption of the Local Plan. A report will be taken to the November planning committee around this intended appeal.

“The documents are now available to access online.”