YORK planners are to look again at where to put the city's new homes and businesses after receiving nearly 10,000 objections to proposed green belt changes.

Members of City of York Council's Green Belt Working Group last night agreed that officers should reconsider the sites currently proposed for development under changes to the area's Local Plan - and look at alternative sites suggested by objectors.

But battle lines were already being drawn up over which sites should remain protected and which should be used for homes or business developments.

Representatives from Huntington called for two sites in their area to be cut from the list of proposed sites by the time the issue is reconsidered in January.

Meanwhile, the council's Labour opposition leader insisted that it must be sure it can count on developing the vital York Central site, near the city's railway station, before other areas can be left out.

The working group heard that there were 9,663 objections - out of a total of 10,321 representations - to the third set of changes to the Local Plan, 87 per cent of which related to sites at New Lane, Huntington; land north and south of Monks Cross; Huntington "Action Area"; reserved land north of Monks Cross; and reserved land north of Haxby. Huntington parish council chairman Peter Vaughan said three-quarters of the objections to the changes came from his area, reflecting the fact that the amount of land proposed for removal from the Green Belt there was seven times that for the rest of York.

He highlighted the proposals for 800 houses in New Lane and the reserved land north of Monks Cross, saying: "We would anxiously seek that this Green Belt survey does away with these two proposals, for the benefit of Huntington."

But Labour group leader Dave Merrett warned that if the York Central area was to be used as an "exchange" for other sites, they must be sure that the site could be brought forward in time, given the costs and the massive traffic changes involved. "Otherwise the Local Plan will be built on foundations of sand, and will fall apart in practice."

He also warned that Labour would not support a York Central scheme which involved losing or significantly reducing its affordable housing element.

Council planning chief Roy Templeman told Coun Merrett that partners in the York Central development were "acutely aware" of the time-scales the council faced.

Afterwards, working group chairman Ann Reid said: "We believe that it is possible to meet Government criteria for using land and meet our housing and employment targets without encroaching on to greenfield sites.

"However, we have more work to do to ensure that we get the balance right."

Updated: 10:46 Tuesday, October 14, 2003