In 1956 some significant events took place.
Elvis Presley had his first hit with Heartbreak Hotel, the first computer hard disk was invented by IBM and England, France and Israel unsuccessfully invaded Egypt to gain control of the Suez Canal.
In York, the City of York Development Plan was adopted by the council.
This was the last time that York has a formally adopted Local Plan.
York is now one of just 10 per cent of Local Authorities who do not have an up-to-date Local Plan – though York is possibly the place with the longest gap in having an agreed plan, some 64 years.
You might be asking what is a Local Plan and why does York not have one?
A Local Plan can affect where you walk your dog, what you can see on your way to work, how the city makes you feel and what opportunities there are to engage with culture and heritage in the city.
A Local Plan for York is an agreed development plan owned by City of York Council that will guide where houses can be built, where economic development can take place and what new infrastructure is needed to ensure developments are sustainable.
It would also set out how land is to be protected and what cultural opportunities will be provided as part of future developments.
A Local Plan usually lasts for 15 years and is reviewed and renewed regularly – surely a good thing for a city with aspirations to develop to have in its back pocket.
Future development is best supported by detailed guidance from Supplement Planning Documents which are written to support the policies outlined in the Local Plan.
The plan would cover the entire Local Authority area of York – all 105 square miles of it.
It would include allocations of land that are proposed for large-scale developments – new settlements, infrastructure and jobs.
It also would help to protect heritage that might be important to you as a resident through the development of a Local Heritage List in collaboration with York Civic Trust and local community groups.
Since 1964 there have been several attempts to have a new Local Plan adopted by the council in York, but all to no avail.
The exciting horizon for this year is that in 2023 it could be the year that it finally happens.
A final piece of public consultation will hopefully be launched in February and last six weeks with the final modifications put forward by the council after a summer of public inquiry.
This will be a great time for everyone to have a look at the Local Plan and see how it will affect them and where appropriate offer some feedback to the Council.
Has the city suffered in the decades between because of the lack of a Local Plan?
There have been plans that have informed development in the city – the report undertaken by the leading architect Lord Esher in 1969 and more recently a council plan of 2005.
But they have not had the certainty of an approved Local Plan.
Without this certainty it is difficult for developers to bring forward plans, it is difficult for the council to have a strategic view of how the city can develop and it is very difficult for residents and future residents to have a clue what will be happening to the character of their city as the York moves forward.
York has survived since 1956 and would of course survive for another 64 years without a Local Plan.
But there is a very strong risk that the city develops in a piecemeal way that is in part down to the whim of who has the greatest influence.
On behalf of its members and the wider civic voice York Civic Trust have been involved in every incarnation of plans informing the future of our city since 1946.
We would strongly recommend readers to find out more when the final piece of consultation is launched.
And then, as elections draw closer, find out on your doorsteps from candidates their views on securing a certain future for York and adopting a local plan in 2023.
Andrew Morrison is chief executive of York Civic Trust
