• The whole plan

    A new plan for York In developing this plan York Council is developing a new Local…

  • In developing this plan

    York Council is developing a new Local Plan which will replace the 2025 Local Plan –…

  • Background

    I’m Geoff Beacon. I have commented on plans for York since the early 1970s, with little…

  • New concerns: Food security and inequality

    Submissions I made to the York Local Plan Inquiry in 2018 included three themes: In the…

  • More market gardens

    It is likely that climate change will cause a fall in food supply. Many peoples in…

  • Drastic traffic suppression

    ‘Drastic traffic suppression’ was a term I used when I submitted evidence to the 1972 public…

  • York exiles the poor

    ‘York exiles the poor’ was the heading for the first evidence I tried to submit to…

  • A call for sites and land monopolies.

    A Call for Sites (CFS) is a formal, early-stage consultation process where local planning authorities (LPAs)…

  • Social and affordable housing

    Social renting Social rented housing, is one aspect of the government’s affordable housing drive. Social houses…

  • Who can afford their own home?

    For those with lower incomes it has become almost impossible to buy their own home in…

  • Universities crowd out housing

    The growth of York’s two major universities—the University of York and York St John University—has been…

  • Urban core, urban trendy and suburban lifestyles

    Housing within and near York’s City Walls has become a place where affluent people who like…

  • Municipal housing

    There are three main areas of municipal housing built in York and built in the 20th…

  • Housing types

    Detached houses Detached houses usually have larger floor areas than other types and are the most…

  • Construction methods

    Different construction methods can be applied to the range of housing types e.g. A detached house…

  • Low traffic neighbourhoods

    Low Traffic Neighbourhoods (LTNs) are residential areas where through-traffic is restricted using measures like planters, bollards,…

  • Car ownership

    Here are the effects of car ownership.. Carbon Footprint A report published by Zemo gives estimates…

  • Very low traffic neighbourhoods

    Low traffic neighbourhoods are residential areas where traffic flow is restricted through one-way systems, road closures…

  • Climate Change

    Recent years have seen diminished concern about climate change. Public support for climate policies and urgency…

  • AI, the retreat from globalisation and economic growth

    Google AI Assistant says: Artificial Intelligence is simultaneously accelerating the retreat from traditional, hyper-globalized supply chains…

  • Housing York’s population

    York is an affluent city with large wealth inequality. High property prices and corporate wealth hide…

  • York’s Green Belt

    The idea of a green belt has and enormous emotional pulls on most of us. Green…

  • Trust the plans of planners?

    Should we the trust the plans of planners? Planners have a poor record. York avoided some…

  • 15 minute cities

    Some urban theorists have advocated that planners embrace the idea of 15-minute cities. Ratti and Florida…

  • Are Local Plans useful?

    Local plans like the one York ratified last year have the disadvantage of giving up bargaining…

  • Compulsory purchase

    Compulsory purchase is the legal power of a public authority to force the sale of land…

  • A framework for the new plan

    The version of the York Local Plan approved by York Council in February 2025, was governed…

  • Aims of this plan

    Aims … Reducing inequality In much of the world, inequality is increasing. According to economist Gary…

  • An emergency start

    The UK has a housing crisis which is taking from the young and the poor to…

  • Park homes and custom built homes

    On the current housing market, the housing type that has the smallest carbon footprint is the…