New Minister tells council to get move on after decades of delay to local plan

Nick Boles, who was appointed Minister of State for Planning in the Government reshuffle, has used his first appearance at the despatch box to deliver a stinging rebuke to a council which has become notorious in planning circles for its failure to adopt a proper local plan.

Local plans are vital legal documents which control how an area is allowed to develop. The council claims constant changes to the Government’s planning guidelines are partly to blame for its failure to agree a settled plan.

Mr Boles made his comments in response to a question from York MP Hugh Bayley, who wanted to know what the Government is doing to ensure brownfield sites in York are developed.

Mr Bowles said: “I would point out to the Hon Gentleman that his city council has not had a formally adopted a local plan for 40 years.

“I hope that he will join me in pressing his colleagues on York city council to get on with it and to draw up such a plan, because that would give his constituents much more influence over the development in their area.”

The appointment of Mr Boles to the key planning post has already made waves at Westminster, after it emerged that earlier this year he described countryside campaigners as “latter-day Luddites”.

His latest outburst provoked a strong debate from York Council, which said it has been working to a successful plan for many years - albeit one that was never formally adopted.

Neil Taylor, interim director of city and services, said: “York has an existing local plan in place that was adopted for development control purposes in 2005.

“Although the plan was not taken through the formal enquiry process, it has provided the platform that has allowed York to grow and flourish economically over the past seven years.”

However, the city’s latest efforts to adopt a formal plan face further delay after a planning inspector questioned their viability earlier this year.

Although £1.1m of taxpayer’s money had been spent developing the latest document over a six-year period, it was withdrawn after Government inspector David Vickery raised concerns over its “potential soundness”.

Councillor Dave Merrett, the council’s cabinet member for planning, said: “This has occurred for a number of reasons, including substantial changes to government planning policy.

“We are absolutely determined to get a local plan in place as soon possible.”