t: 01904 784847 e: julian.sturdy.mp@parliament.uk
Julian Sturdy - Strong Voice for York Outer

Julian Sturdy

Member of Parliament for York Outer

Latest News & Campaigns

Julian joins Lobular Moon Shot Project

Julian joins Lobular Moon Shot Project

Julian has joined over one-hundred Members of Parliament backing the Lobular Moon Shot Project to improve research funding into lobular breast cancer. Invasive Lobular Breast Cancer (ILC) is the 2nd most common type of breast cancer. 3.75 million people will be diagnosed with this cancer in the next 10 years, yet ILC currently has no specific treatment and behaves

Julian unites with Cancer Research UK

Julian marked World Cancer Day at a special Cancer Research UK event at Westminster...

Julian supports deposit return scheme to keep York tidy

Julian attended a parliamentary drop-in session to discuss hosted by “Reloop” and “Keep Britain...

Julian writes to FCA urging better protection for village banking services

Julian joined 56 other Members of Parliament in penning a letter to the Chief...

Local Plan News

Wednesday 31st July – On the day the consultation on the draft Local Plan closes, Julian makes his submission. For more info, click here. Or to see what Julian wrote in his submission, click here.

Tuesday 16th July – After writing to Council officials and expressing his concerns over the absence of Huntington in the list of the Council ‘drop in’ consultation sessions, Julian has managed to secure a 6 day Local Plan exhibition at Huntington Library, from Monday 22nd July to Saturday 27th July. For more info, click here.

Saturday 13th July – Julian hosts back to back public meetings for the residents of  Woodthorpe and Huntington, with the Woodthorpe meeting very well attended by over 100 local residents. To see a video update from Julian following his Woodthorpe meeting, press play below: 

Wednesday 10th July – As the consultation process is beginning to draw to a close, Julian has again been asking local residents to sign his petition and the many others against the various proposals within the draft Local Plan. Julian’s petition can be accessed here. Also on the Council’s website is a petition to stop the 40 proposed Wind Farms from encircling our great City and ruining its beautiful countryside setting. Please sign up by clicking here. You may also be interested in signing the Huntington residents’ petition to stop the proposed 20 pitch Travellers’ site on Malton Road. You can find it here. If you want paper copies of Julian’s petition, then please contact his office and we will some sent out to you. If you have the time, Julian would really appreciate your circulating them among your friends and neighbours. Please note that signing petitions is only one way of lodging your objections and Julian would strongly advise you to put your individual comments in writing to the Council as well.

Monday 8th July – the Council announced that the proposed 20 pitch Showpeople site in Knapton has been withdrawn by the land agents acting on behalf of the landowner. The Council have agreed to remove the Knapton site from the future versions of the Local Plan, citing that “it is a key consideration of the NPPF to have a willing landowner, in order for a site to be deliverable”. This is of course great news and a huge relief to the many concerned residents in Knapton and the surrounding communities, particularly those who have been working together in recent weeks to fight the proposal. Ultimately, it shows that the draft Local Plan can be changed for the better. However, the Council have been decidedly vague over the next steps and Julian remains concerned that they could put forward an alternative site for a 20 pitch Showpeople’s yard. He is therefore continuing to encourage local residents to object to the Knapton site as though it were still being proposed.

Haxby Public meeting local plan

Saturday 6th July – Julian hosts a packed out public meeting at the Haxby Memorial Hall, with well over 100 local residents in attendance. The main issue of concern for the residents of Haxby and Wigginton was the proposal for 747 new homes on over 60 acres to the north of Haxby and the further 70 acres neighbouring this land which is set to be taken out of the greenbelt and ‘safeguarded’ for future development. Local residents were deeply concerned about the effects this development would have on the existing infrastructure in the area, particularly the drainage and sewerage systems, the schools and the road networks. 

Wednesday 3rd July – Julian hosts a Parliamentary debate on the Greenbelt, in which he spoke passionately against the controversial proposals within the draft Local Plan. The Planning Minister, Nick Boles MP, said in response that “development must be sustainable” and that there would be “simply no point for any local authority to put forward a Local Plan which was unsustainable”. For more info, click here.

Saturday 22nd June – Julian hosts his second Public Meeting of the weekend, this time in Dunnington. The meeting was again very well attended and the issue firmly at the top of the agenda was the 15 pitch Travellers site proposed on Hassacarr Lane and Common Road. Julian reiterated his staunch opposition to the proposal and he was really glad to see that so many residents from the village had been working together to formulate strong objections to the proposals.

Friday 21st June – Julian hosts a well attended Public Meeting in Earswick on the proposals for Strensall Ward. Of particular concern to the residents in attendance were the 140+ homes proposed in Strensall village, the 70 acres in the village ‘safeguarded’ for future development and the 5 potential wind farms proposed in the area. Residents also raised their concerns over the job growth figures the Council were using to help justify their housing targets and many were deeply disturbed about the potential strain that the proposed developments would put on the local infrastructure.

Thursday 20th JuneJulian raises the uncertain future of York’s Greenbelt in Parliament and enlists the support of the Leader of the House of Commons, Andrew Lansley MP, in his campaign to protect our greenbelt. For more info, click here.

Saturday 15th June – Julian hosts a Public Meeting in the village of Skelton, alongside local Councillor Joe Watt. The meeting was very well attended by a number of deeply concerned residents from across the Skelton, Rawcliffe and Clifton Without areas. Julian answered residents’ questions over the controversial Clifton Gate proposal, in which 4000 homes have been proposed to the north of Clifton Moor. He outlined what he believed are the main three points of objection local residents should pursue in their submissions to the consultation process. These were: 1. to challenge the population growth figures that the Council are using to base their housing targets on, 2. to argue that the proposals were unsustainable and that the local infrastructure would not cope, 3. to argue that the proposed Clifton Gate development would be inappropriate on land which has always been part of Yorks greenbelt. As an extra point, Julian encouraged residents to use any local knowledge they had to inform the Council why the proposal was unsuitable. Press play below to watch Julian giving a video update, following the Skelton public meeting:

Thursday 13th June – Julian attends the first of the Council’s Local Plan exhibitions in his York Outer Constituency, at the Heworth Without Community Centre. Julian has recently written out to every household in Heworth Without to help raise awareness of what has been proposed and outline why he objects to the proposals. Press play below for a video update from Julian, following the Local Plan exhibition:

Friday 7th June 2013 – Julian met with 50-60 residents in Heslington Parish Church to discuss the controversial 5500+ home ‘Winthorpe’ development. Julian said it would put local infrastructure under immense strain and the effects would be felt across the area, including in villages like Dunnington, Fulford, Wheldrake and Elvington. Julian criticised the Council for their “smoke and mirrors” approach to the consultation. For more info, click here.

Thursday 6th June 2013 – Julian has welcomed the government’s announcement that the existing planning framework is to be strengthened to give local communities greater powers to oppose unwanted onshore wind farms. For information, click here.

Wednesday 5th June 2013 – The City of York Council’s draft Local Plan consultation process goes live today and will last for eight weeks, until the 31st July. During this time you can submit your comments or objections on the proposals either in writing, to ‘Local Plan, City of York Council, FREEPOST (YO239), York, YO1 7ZZ’, or via email, to localplan@york.gov.uk. Julian is encouraging one and all to take part in this process to try to make the Local Plan representative of the wants and needs of all residents in the York area. He is challenging the Council to listen and to act upon the views of those who take part in the consultation.

Wednesday 5th June 2013 – Julian launches his new Local Plan page, to raise awareness of the proposals within the City of York Council’s draft Local Plan and to ensure that all residents are equipped with the knowledge they need in order to take part in the Council’s consultation process and have their say on the proposals. As always, Julian really appreciates your feedback, so let him know what you think of his new Local Plan page by contacting him here.

To watch Julian’s welcome message, press play below:

Saturday 1st June 2013 – Julian has been out campaigning in Skelton and Rawcliffe to raise awareness of his upcoming Public Meeting on the controversial Clifton Gate proposal. The meeting is at 9.30am on Saturday 15th June at the Skelton Village Hall. Watch Julian’s campaign update below: