IT’S little surprise to see patience wearing incredibly thin in the government inspectors formally examining York’s Local Plan.

Their frustration with the council is palpable and the council’s unwillingness to be honest and open with them is seriously jeopardising the adoption of a local development plan for York, make no mistake about it.

How the city develops is of huge interest and incredibly important to residents and businesses across the city.

Liberal Democrats voted to stop Labour’s proposed Plan in 2014, saying they’d do it differently.

That’s how the political numbers worked at the time, and that’s democracy.

But they didn’t say seven years on we’d be on the brink of examiners withdrawing from the process and sending the council back to start again, as well as being over £2m worse off.

That the ruling Liberal Democrat-Green Council has resorted to explaining away its mismanagement through ‘emails crossing in the (virtual) post’ is an indication of how desperate things have become.

We have to be realistic and acknowledge if this council is incapable of supplying what the examiners require, then the Government will step in and take over the process for York.

That really is the last thing we need.

Cllr Claire Douglas

Labour spokesperson for planning

Chestnut Avenue,

York.