Latest news with #ArnoldWarneken
BBC News
02-05-2025
- General
- BBC News
Housing scheme near Thorpe Willoughby nature reserve rejected
A plan to build 110 houses on the edge of a North Yorkshire village has been rejected amid concerns about its impact on ancient two other nearby developments, which would see 285 houses constructed on the edge of Thorpe Willoughby, near Selby, have been approved despite 80 objections being submitted to the Yorkshire Council's Selby and Ainsty area planning committee said concerns were raised about the impact of all three schemes on the Brayton Barff nature they said the Field Lane scheme was rejected because it would have been closer to the woodland than two proposed developments near Leeds Road. 'Cumulative impact' Councillor Arnold Warneken said he believed the Field Lane scheme, which would have been 500 yards (457m) from Brayton Barff, a reservoir surrounded by woodland, would have had "a greater impact" on the nature Bob Packham said the housing plan would have been "unacceptable in terms of its impact on landscape". "I think it is also unacceptable in terms of its impact on the structure of the settlement in that it's completely the wrong side of Field Lane — that area should remain undeveloped."According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service members of the committee told a meeting on Wednesday they were worried about the "cumulative impact" of all three developments on the area, including the size of the development being too big for the villageHowever, committee chair Councillor John Cattanach said he could see no reason why the two applications to the north and south of Leeds Road should be refused as they seemed "to fall within more natural boundaries".Councillors voted unanimously to reject the Field lane application. Listen to highlights from North Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
BBC News
29-03-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Green councillor call for North Yorkshire Council change rejected
The leader of a council has dismissed a call to change the way decisions are Yorkshire Council has been urged to move towards a committee system by Green Party councillors who claim it would be more are currently made via a leader and cabinet system, with the Conservative and Independents group, which has the majority of councillors, appointing the leader and members of an executive decisions are agreed by the full council, critics claim the ruling group will always get their way due to their majority. Councillor Arnold Warneken, Green Party member for Ouseburn, spoke out after 19 opposition councillors walked out of a full council meeting in February, in protest at last-minute amendments announced by the executive without other members being notified in said this would not have happened if the authority used a modern committee system, where councils are run by politically-balanced told the Local Democracy Reporting Service around 30 councils in England use this system."The Conservatives have been making all the decisions at North Yorkshire Council for more than 20 years," he said."It doesn't have to be that way - all parties can be heard. "We need to be making decisions out in the open, not behind closed doors."Warneken said most people do not realise that people can "demand a different style of governance that is more democratic"."They can do that at any time – they don't have to wait for an election." 'Majority vote' Conservative council leader Carl Les said this issue was "often raised by minority parties who sought a larger voice than the election has provided them".He added: "We should note that the Green group get a seat on every committee presently - other than the executive - which is much more numerate than their four out of 90 is proportionate."The executive system has been in place for nearly 25 years now, not just since 2014."Les said the current system replaced a committee system which was "cumbersome and bureaucratic, and slow at reaching decisions".He added: "In the end, whatever the Greens say, any decision will be made by majority vote."If they want to change the system, then they need to win more seats at an election - whereupon they can."In the meantime, there is nothing to stop them working with any group, including the majority group, to come up with ideas we can all support." Listen to highlights from North Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
