YORK’S council leader says a Government Minister has backed the city’s approach to introducing its 15-year development blueprint amid accusations a crucial housing report is being kept under wraps.

City of York Council’s Liberal Democrat group is considering making a formal complaint after being twice denied access to a consultants’ study outlining York’s projected housing growth.

They say this has been used by the authority’s Labour leaders to justify building 22,000 new homes, many on green-belt land.

It has also been claimed the authority may have breached regulations over access to information by so far not publishing the Arup report, which the council denies.

However, in a letter to council leader James Alexander, Planning Minister Nick Boles said he was “encouraged to hear of the endeavours” the authority had made over the Local Plan, which will go out to public consultation next week, and his officials would meet the council so “any issues or barriers” could be discussed.

Coun Alexander said: “Nick Boles has been very supportive of our homes plan and the endeavours undertaken by the council to ensure we have a Local Plan in place as soon as possible “It is welcoming that he has offered help to remove any barriers to the draft Local Plan being approved.”