The full coalition agreement between the Liberal Democrats and the Conservatives has been published (programmeforgovernment.hmg.gov.uk/), bringing with it many welcome proposals, not least the commitment to “rapidly abolish Regional Spatial Strategies (RSS) and return decision-making powers on housing and planning to local councils”.

City of York Council is creating its Local Development Framework, to guide planning in the city for the next 30 years. At present the framework must fit in with the RSS, which sets a target of 850 homes a year to be built in York.

This target would be almost impossible to reach without building on green-belt land, as windfall sites like Terry’s are not included in the targets set by the Labour Government.

Despite the clear wish in the city to protect land in the green belt from development, the Government would have been able to overrule the wishes of York residents in favour of its own centrally determined housing targets.

The commitment to scrap the RSS means decisions about the future development of the city will be in the hands of local people, and will end the ludicrous process of local planning policy being set in Whitehall.

Coun Steve Galloway, Executive member for city strategy, City of York Council, Guildhall, York.