Julian Hosts Public Meeting on Controversial Plans for 1500 Homes in Haxby and Wigginton
November 15, 2014
Yesterday evening Julian hosted a Public Meeting in the Methodist Church Hall in Haxby to discuss the current state-of-play with the controversial Local Plan.
Julian gave a short introductory speech outlining the current situation following the recent set-back to the Council’s Local Plan, after a motion was passed on the 9th October to halt proceedings, forcing the Council to look again at their proposals.
A general Q&A session followed, which lasted over 2 hours, ranging from specific issues within the Local Plan to the precedent behind protecting York’s greenbelt set out in the Regional Spatial Strategy.
The communities of Haxby and Wigginton are currently suffering from a number of issues stemming from underdeveloped infrastructure, after high levels of housing development over the past few decades. These local issues, from congestion within Haxby and Wigginton and around the adjacent Outer Ring Road, to limited public transport services and inadequate parking spaces, along with long-standing issues with drainage and sewerage systems, would all be exacerbated by the nearly 800 houses proposed in Haxby.
Concerns were also raised about the plans to remove a further 75 acres from the greenbelt to the North of Haxby. This land is set to be ‘safeguarded’ for the future long-term development of up to a further 720 houses – a proposal which Mr Sturdy said was “completely unnecessary.”
Julian listened to the many concerns of local residents who are worried about the impact that these new houses would have on the local community. Following the meeting Julian said, “I was delighted to hold another Public Meeting on the Local Plan in Haxby and Wigginton for the local residents who will be directly affected by the Council’s proposals. Not only will these developments cut out swathes of our cherished greenbelt, but they will also compound pressure on the already severely strained infrastructure in the area.”
