A CAMPAIGN group has been launched to fight plans for a new town in countryside south of York.

Halt Heronby, which involves residents from Riccall, Escrick and Stillingfleet, their parish councils and local landowners, is opposing the 'damaging and unnecessary' Heronby development near Escrick, between York and Selby.

Spokesman Phil Wade claimed the development would not be a village, as it was being marketed, but a town.

"With eventually up to 4,000 homes and a population of up to 12,000 people, it is bigger than Tadcaster," he claimed.

He said Selby District Council had, at the last minute, selected the site as its preferred location for large scale housing development in its Local Plan, and had embarked on a consultation that finished in just six weeks on October 7.

"Until the end of July, we had been informed that the Burn site was the preferred option, but both this location and Church Fenton have now been dropped, leaving Heronby to be selected by default, despite the many issues this presents," he claimed.

He said the A19 was already congested and a study by the group demonstrated that traffic would increase by at least 25 per cent in the first stage and would double by the time it was fully built.

He claimed a promoted cycle track was not a realistic commuter route, with the surface poor, the route unlit, remote, unfit for mass transit and unsafe for certain lone users.

“We just can’t understand the logic," he said. "Housebuilding on this scale should be focused on previously used brownfield sites close to existing public transport hubs.

"Escrick is further from a train station than any other Tier 1/Tier 2 village in the Selby District so why locate a new town at this location?"

He added that the loss of around 200 hectares of good quality agricultural land was not acceptable.

Sean Kenyon from York, one of the part owners of adjacent Moreby Wood, said he was 'dismayed' by the proposals, claiming the environmental impact on ancient woodland would be acute despite assurances given. 

"Heron Wood in the centre of the site and the adjacent Moreby Wood would have delicate ecosystems damaged beyond recovery during the build period," he said.

"To name this town after the wood that it will irreparably damage is obscene.”

Mr Wade said he hoped residents across the area would take the last chance to make their feelings known before the local landscape and quality of life was changed forever.

Council officers have said they believe Heronby is the most suitable site as it 'will create a well-designed mixed community,' ensuring that 'the high-quality ambitions are met.'

 

ESCRICK Park Estate, which is behind the Heronby scheme, said it welcomed its inclusion as the preferred new community in Selby District Council’s Publication Local Plan.

"The plan recognises that a new settlement such as Heronby can play a major role in helping address the need for new homes - with associated infrastructure, services and amenities - for the people of the district for many years to come," said a spokesman.

"This is a long-term project, which would see Heronby grow steadily in the decades to come, creating a community with employment space, schools, shops and green open spaces that sit comfortably within the landscape. 

"Our transport strategy addresses the challenges of delivering highway improvements to the A19, including a bypass for Escrick village, whilst at the same time building a community that provides the majority of its residents’ daily needs within a walkable distance.

"Selby’s planning officers recognise that Heronby will bring significant improvements to the highways network and provide wider benefits for local communities.

"As highlighted by the Publication Local Plan, Escrick Park Estate is committed to the long-term stewardship of the site and ensuring high quality design, a mix of tenures and local facilities, including a new 46-hectare country park."