NEW rules ensuring that York gets more affordable housing have finally been rubberstamped.

After a change in administration and years of delays about which land should be built on in the city, ruling city councillors have agreed to approve the fourth set of changes to the draft Local Plan - the latest version of the blueprint for future development.

Liberal Democrat leaders of City of York Council said this should meet York's housing, economic and leisure needs, without compromising green belt land.

Major changes in this version, which affects all planning applications, ranging from minor extensions to major housing sites, include:

Raising the affordable housing quota on new sites from 25 to 50 per cent.

Lowering the size of sites where affordable housing will be expected from 25 to 15 homes.

New policies to safeguard community facilities, like nursing homes

Removal of acres of greenfield sites in areas like Huntington and Haxby, set aside for development by Labour, and the allocation of more brownfield sites for development.

Putting the massive York Central project at the heart of the blueprint.

More emphasis on sustainable housing.

Coun Ann Reid, executive member for planning, said: "This draft plan has been amended four times to take account of comments made during a wide consultation process. We need to adopt it now so it can be used when planning applications are determined, while moving on to the new process being introduced by Government."

If passed by full council next Tuesday, these policies will be introduced immediately.

A Local Plan inquiry was suspended in 2000 and a review into green belt land launched - leading to the four sets of changes.

But the long-awaited blueprint looks set to be withdrawn in future, after the Government recently announced a major planning shake-up. The Local Plan will eventually be replaced piecemeal by the Local Develop-ment Framework - but the first chunk of this is not due to go to inquiry until 2007.

Planning officials said work and feedback from the Local Plan would form the basis of the new policy. Approval of the fourth set of changes was delayed in January when the council asked for legal advice on consultation.

Opposition councillors called for consultation on controversial areas of the Local Plan and welcomed the affordable housing policy after "months of delay".

Labour's planning spokesman, Coun Tracey Simpson-Laing, also repeated concerns about the creation of large, high-density flat developments not in keeping with York's character, and the "gamble" of including York Central for a potential 3,000-home scheme, given "the uncertainty around this development".

Updated: 10:26 Thursday, April 07, 2005