Updated: BUILDING companies in York have launched a fresh attack on council rules they say are hindering housing developments.

City of York Council’s local development framework (LDF) working group has recommended changes to current regulations, which require builders to ensure half of any development in York is given over to affordable housing. The decision comes following recommendations in a report, commissioned by the council, by Fordham Research.

If approved by the council executive, the changes would see a target of 25 per cent affordable homes on future brownfield sites and 40 per cent on greenfield sites, over the next two years.

But the recommendations do not go far enough to help the struggling construction industry, according to some councillors, while the head of a construction company said he was disappointed with the lack of consultation on the changes.

Andrew Bowes, managing director for Persimmon Homes Yorkshire, said: “We, along with other attendees at the LDF working group meeting, were disappointed by the lack of consultation and consequently the inaccuracies contained within the report.”

He said the analysis of Germany Beck did not properly consider the millions of pounds of benefits for the local area, which he said had obvious implications for how much affordable housing could be provided.

Coun Ian Gillies, leader of the Conservative group, said: “In order to kick-start house building again, I was asking for 25 per cent on all sites for the next two years.”

Coun Gillies said his recommendation would provide “much-needed vision and challenge the developers, large and small, to deliver”.

Coun Steve Galloway, chair of the LDF framework working group, said he was surprised by the stance from the building industry and he had received no notification of any dissatisfaction.

He said: “The new formula does recognise that the housing market is constantly changing and that low demand levels can reduce the value of developments. The majority of the working group did wish to proceed quickly towards the introduction of the new system and this formed their recommendation to the council’s executive and planning committees.”

He said: “It is important that we increase housing provision in the city as quickly as possible and I remain keen to work with developers to that end.”