IT IS a great honour to have been re-elected to represent the residents of Heworth Without and I would like to thank everyone for all their support, during the election and over the past four years.

I am looking forward to working with local people to ensure that the good progress we have made in recent years in improving local roads and footpaths and increasing the facilities available for young people in the ward continues.

One of my main priorities will be to protect Heworth Without’s green belt from development. Labour’s plans to increase the number of houses built in the city will pave the way for development on green-belt land, despite residents making it clear that they are opposed to such development.

Labour will now have the luxury of an overall majority to push through whichever policies they want. However, they must ensure they do not use these newfound powers to implement policies against the wishes of local people.

All over the city, residents have consistently and strongly rejected the idea of developing on the green belt. I hope Labour’s first decision in office will not be to ignore these wishes.

Coun Nigel Ayre, Liberal Democrat councillor for Heworth Without.