Julian Sturdy

Following the successful campaign at the end of last year against the original proposal to construct a telecommunications mast on Green Belt land at the bottom of Church Lane, Huntington, the applicants have re-submitted the proposal. The site which is located on farm land just south of Hall Farm is on the edge of Huntington Village’s Conservation area and close to the popular public footpaths that run along side the river Foss.

I have to say that I am disappointed but not totally surprised that two months after successfully protecting our local green belt from this development, we have to do it all again. The proposed mast is completely inappropriate to this area of natural beauty on the edge of Huntington village. It would have a detrimental impact on the local amenity and green belt area used by local residents who at present enjoy the beautiful surroundings.

The application is scheduled to be determined by York City Council’s East Area Planning Committee on the 12^th March. Resident’s wishing to object to this application should respond by writing to:

The Planning Office, York City Council, 9 St Leonards Place, York, YO1 7ET

Quoting Planning Application Reference 09/00143/FUL

William Hague has launched a ‘Commission on Transport in the North’ to help shape the future transport policies of a Conservative Government for our region. Mr Hague was joined by the Shadow Transport Secretary Theresa Villiers at the event held in Leeds.

I was also attending to raise the issues of York’s transport infrastructure which has been ignored for far too long. I am delighted as a born and bred Yorkshire man that yet again the Conservative Party is showing it’s long term commitment to our region by launching this Commission. It has been set up to listen to people’s views on the transport challenges for our area. Everyone is invited to have their say, so please put your views forward, the Commission wants to hear from you. The Commission’s website which can be found at www.transportinthenorth.com

The Commission’s launch followed on the back of the disappointing news that a £42 million bid for road improvements to York’s Northern Ring Road was turned down by the Regional Transport Board, which is something I raised with Theresa Villiers. As the congestion levels only get worse it is important that we continue to highlight the problems facing local residents who have to use this road on a daily basis. I will certainly be pressing to make sure that the York Northern Ring road as well as rail halts for Haxby and Strensall are high up on the Commission’s agenda.  

We had our first big campaign day of the year on Saturday, which saw just short of thirty of us go out delivering leaflets around Skelton, Rawcliffe and Clifton Without. We all met in the morning at the River Side Farm pub on the A19, before braving the cold weather and heading out leaflets in hand, then back to the pub for lunch,  for a bit of a social and the chance to warm up for a while before some more campaigning in the afternoon.

My thanks to everyone who turned up to help. It is really encouraging to see the increasing numbers of people joining our campaign for change in York Outer, as we go from strength to strength.