Members of York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority have voted against making the former RAF Linton-on-Ouse base a mayoral development zone (MDZ) amid plans to build an asylum centre on the land.
Following a debate that further highlighted the tensions between Labour Mayor David Skaith and Conservative leaders at North Yorkshire Council, the authority rejected an amendment to add the site to the mayor’s £10m plans to create three MDZs in Selby, York and Scarborough.
The motion had been proposed by North Yorkshire Council deputy leader Gareth Dadd at a meeting today (THURSDAY) of the combined authority’s cabinet.
Cllr Dadd said he was making the proposal after Deputy Mayor Jo Coles accused North Yorkshire Council of the “obstruction” of the mayor’s earlier attempts to create an MDZ on the site.
MDZs are seen as a key tool available to mayors through devolution to designate areas as a priority for development, allowing the mayor to take a lead in bringing together developers, landowners and the local authority to attract private-sector investment and public-sector funding.
Cllr Dadd said he was “disappointed” by the contents of the letter sent to Asylum Minister Alex Norris, which also claimed the council had failed to finalise a new local plan.
Pushing the mayor on whether he had sanctioned the letter or whether it was accurate, Cllr Dadd questioned why the mayor would not support the amendment saying: “It’s been stated that you’ve sought to do this separately previously, or have you not sought to do it separately previously?”
He added: “I was never aware that there’s been a formal approach to North Yorkshire Council to designate Linton-on-Ouse as a separate mayoral development zone.
“It may well be the right thing to do, but I wasn’t aware that you’d made an approach, you might not be aware that you’ve made an approach, who knows.”
In response, the mayor said he would not back the amendment as he did not have advance notice of the proposal ahead of the meeting.
He said the other three MDZ sites had been the subject of significant engagement work, adding: “I’ve always been open and clear for MDZs on MoD sites, and I continue to be.
“However, I want to see the Linton-on-Ouse site included potentially in a wider, broader MoD site as an MDZ. And that proposal I will ask officers to continue to work up and produce with North Yorkshire Council and the MoD in time.”
The mayor added that his deputy had his full support.
The amendment was also not supported by City of York leaders.
Deputy leader Bob Webb described the amendment as “policy on the hoof”.
“So much work has gone into the other three sites we’ve been talking about, Scarborough and Selby, York Central, that I don’t feel comfortable with this amendment.
“And what I don’t want to do is inadvertently damage the prospects of the villagers, the residents of Linton-on-Ouse, by forcing something on them where we actually haven’t thought this thing through properly.”
The meeting also heard from Councillor Malcolm Taylor, whose division covers Linton-on-Ouse.
He asked for the mayor’s views on reports that the Home Secretary had banned asylum seekers from being housed near schools, with Linton-on-Ouse Primary School very close to the former base.
Mr Skaith said he believed the site should be used for houses, not asylum seekers.
“This site could unlock so many opportunities for housing for local residents and it’s a shame, I would say, that the six years previously since it closed, that there hasn’t been enough progress on that,” he added.
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