LIBERAL Democrat councillors want to make York the greenest city in the North if they win back control of the city council.

The party has published its local manifesto, and is pledging a series of policies to promote recycling, get rid of charges for green bins, cut carbon emissions, boost bus routes, and support a new local railway station to cut congestion.

The party’s group leader on City of York Council Keith Aspden and deputy leader Cllr Ann Reid were joined by Lib Dem peer and former Harrogate MP Lord Phil Willis on a campaign visit to Woodthorpe yesterday to launch the manifesto.

They have also pledged to protect York’s green belt, including Woodthorpe’s Moor Lane site, from development under the Local Plan.

Cllr Aspden said: “This is one of our six key priorities, all of which reflect what residents have been telling us on the doorstep over the last four years. Local people feel let down by the Labour council and want change.

“Our manifesto focuses on frontline services such as road repairs and facilities like Yearsley Pool, protecting York’s green belt, and devolving power to give local communities a greater say over how money is spent.

“It also outlines our vision to make York the greenest city in the North, increase support for local jobs and apprenticeships, and prioritise investment in young people and the services offered at Castlegate and children’s centres.”

All nine of the city’s children’s centres will stay open, they say, as will Yearsley Pool while the counselling services at Castlegate youth centre will be protected.

The green belt will also be protected from building, with house building allowed under a new Local Plan focusing building on brownfield sites. I

n the York manifesto, Cllr Aspden also said the current Labour administration had focused too heavily on vanity projects at the expense of basic services, something the Lib Dems would fight even though the squeeze on local government funding implemented by the coalition is likely to continue.

The manifesto promises to re-establish ward committees so people can control some of the spending in their areas, and set up a £500,000 annual Community Fund.