MUCH has been said, and will continue to be said, about the decision to approve the Derwenthorpe application (News report, February 1, Letters, February 2).

Those opposed to the application will cry foul, and those who have an axe to grind will jump on the bandwagon, heedless of the merits and demerits of the scheme.

Peter Evely is a highly competent professional council officer, and being derogatory about his experience and advice is unhelpful and insulting.

He advises members of the planning committee with frank and open information. At the Derwenthorpe meeting he did so, advising members what the modelling indicated.

The legislation regarding planning is biased in favour of development, unless there are sufficiently good grounds to refuse consent. Any council considered to have refused an application unreasonably will normally get costs awarded against it at an appeal. These can be large amounts.

The Green Belt argument had been decided by a planning inspector as part of the Southern Ryedale Green Belt Inquiry in 1994.The traffic levels (by modelling) were not considered to increase traffic by a significant amount.

The density of the development is very low compared with other recent applications, most of which are family houses, rather than blocks of flats.

If this had come forward as an application from a commercial developer there could have been up to 1,085 dwellings proposed.

The proposals as a whole add up to a sustainable development in a sustainable location.

The application, with all supporting paperwork (supporting and opposing) will now go forward to the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, who will decide whether it should be "called in" for a public inquiry.

Those who wish to lodge further objections have a chance to do so, to an independent scrutineer, and I wish them well with their efforts.

Coun Richard S Moore,

Deer Hill Grove,

Clifton Moor, York.

Updated: 11:35 Saturday, February 05, 2005