A DISTRICT councillor has claimed the authority is planning a new town for Malton and Norton bringing thousands of additional houses to the area.

Councillor Paul Andrews said officers had put forward the idea at a private briefing for members about the Ryedale Economic Action Plan last month.

"Officers pointed out that each house built generates 4.5 jobs and then floated the idea of a new town for Malton/Norton, pointing out that doing things like providing a bridge over the River Derwent is "bread and butter" for a new town corporation," he said.

Coun Andrews said he had registered his concern about a new town, but neither officers nor leading members responded or disputed my assertion that this was the council's intention.

"At the same committee meeting, members were given another power point presentation by James Farrow, the chief executive of the LEP, in regard to the proposal of a devolved authority to include North Yorkshire, York, East Yorkshire and Hull. This included an elected mayor who would have the authority to create new towns and appoint New Town Corporations."

Coun Andrews said he had again protested against the idea of a new town at a full meeting of the council earlier this month.

"I mentioned the new town idea three times and laid great emphasis on it, but neither officers nor leading members disputed that this was what they had in mind," he said.

"I therefore conclude that the plan is to continue with the Ryedale Plan as is until the devolved authority is formed, and then to back the idea of a new town - perhaps request it - and then acquiesce to whatever the new New Town Corporation decides to include in its plan."

Coun Andrews said: "It is in Ryedale District Council's (RDC) interest to get new town status for Malton/Norton, as this will open the door to massive new development on a scale beyond anything we have known before.

"RDC wants this as Malton/Norton is the only place in the district which can take huge new developments which are big enough to fund the council through the grant of New Homes Bonus.

"The only way to prevent this disaster which would completely change the character of our lovely market towns is to mount a massive protest against the overdevelopment of Malton and Norton. This protest needs to start now."

However, Councillor Linda Cowling, leader of Ryedale District Council, said: "I have to admit that I do find Coun Andrews' logic and his claims difficult to follow.

"No one has proposed a new town, neither members nor officers. I find it difficult to understand that is what he heard - I was at the same meeting and I did not hear that. Ryedale has an adopted local plan - with appropriate housing numbers agreed in that plan. Naturally much of that development is in Malton - Malton has the best road and rail links of any town in Ryedale.

"Coun Andrews has great faith in his ability to see in to the future - the trouble is most people see a very different future to him. He has a very jaundiced view of what the rest of the council and the officers are trying to achieve for our district - good jobs and housing."

Julian Rudd, head of economy and infrastructure at Ryedale District Council, said: "Coun Andrews appears to have incorrectly interpreted and combined several pieces of information in order to support his false claim that officers or members are promoting a new town at Malton and Norton.

"There is no reference to new towns in my presentation to members and new towns are not referred to in the resulting 2016-20 Economic Action Plan for Ryedale. This is because there are no such proposals that I am aware of in Ryedale and it is not part of any current Ryedale District Council policy or that of the LEP or any other local body for a garden village to be located at Malton or elsewhere in Ryedale.

"The claim that I or other officers at Ryedale are promoting a new town in the district is without any foundation."