PLANS for 83 new homes in a village near York look set to win permission, despite the site lying in the Green Belt and scores of objections.

City of York Council officials say there are ‘very special circumstances’ that would clearly outweigh any harm to the Green Belt caused by the development on 2.37 hectares of land off Eastfield Lane, Dunnington, and they recommend approval.

A report to a planning committee meeting tomorrow says the application by a Mr Tate for a mix of 1,2,3 and 4 bed properties would include 25 affordable homes, equal to 30 per cent of the total.

“The proposed affordable units represent an important contribution towards the identified need in the City of York area,” it says.

“One and two bed houses are in exceptionally high demand for social rented housing.”

The report also says there is no case for refusing the scheme on prematurity grounds and the application site has been identified as a housing allocation within the published Draft Local Plan 2018 with an anticipated yield of 76 dwellings.

But the report by Mark Baldry says the proposals have attracted 59 objections and only four letters of support, and there had been opposition from Dunnington Parish Council.

The parish had said the development would be inappropriate in the Green Belt and it was not a sustainable location.

It also argued that the scheme would be premature and would prejudice the outcome of, and weaken public confidence in, the plan making process, and was contrary to the national and local planning policies including those contained in the Dunnington Neighbourhood Plan.

The parish claimed as well that it would cause significant harm to the landscape, infrastructure, character and appearance of the area as well as road safety and other important considerations.

It also criticised changes from an original application which saw the number of homes rise from 78 to 83, which it said made it even more unacceptable.

Letters of support received for the scheme said a new development was 'exactly what the village needs, the house prices are going through the roof, younger residents and first time buyers are having to move away due to not being able to afford houses'.

But objectors raised concerns about road safety in Eastfield Lane and said the development would be inappropriate in the Green Belt. They also claimed land surrounding the village should be kept intact to prevent over development and keep the village contained.