The planning application submitted by the Fitzwilliam Malton Estate to build 500 homes with employment, community and shop units north of the Castle Howard Road, has been considered by Malton Town Council.

After a lot of debate and two public meetings, the town council will submit the following response to the Ryedale District Council planning committee.

Malton Town Council recommends this application be approved, subject to and contingent upon:

• The provision of a permanent access/relief road to connect the higher end of Castle Howard Road with the York Road, avoiding the lower end of Castle Howard Road and the existing junction;

• The release/provision of some land by the applicant to provide for the increased demand for education capacity and health services;

• The securing of an adequate contribution towards the provision of open space/play facilities in the immediate area of the development;

• Full attention being given to any recommendations or stipulations from highways and water/sewerage bodies.

The town council is very grateful to the public and representatives of the Estate for attending and assisting the discussions.

The council took into account the very real fears of many, indeed perhaps a majority of Malton residents, in respect of the infrastructure, traffic and access. The suggestion that the impact can be effectively managed by adjustments to Castle Howard Road and traffic controls at the York Road junction was considered by virtually all to be a woeful underestimate.

Indeed, for many, the suggestion was indicative of insufficient and inaccurate consideration of what the impact might be, and some dismay was expressed at the estate’s failure to give due attention to a matter which was always certain to top the “concerns” list.

There is however, a requirement under the Local Plan for many more houses to be built in or close to Malton and Norton, and the town council is conscious of this. Given the extent of the Estate’s interest in the town, there is a confidence that it will have a quite different perspective from other potential developers.

The town council is confident that together with the planning authority and Estate all can agree and approve a way forward that will ensure its delivery and integration is underpinned by improvements and additions to the infrastructure.

Hence the town council’s decision to be positive and supportive and recommend approval, but in doing so being very clear as to its view on the inadequacy of the consideration of traffic impact, and giving direction to an achievable and potentially much more effective solution; pointing to a potential opportunity for the provision of the increased capacity required to meet additional education requirements, which might also distribute more widely the “school run” traffic impact and emphasising the absolute importance of the provision of adequate and robust infrastructure to properly accommodate and integrate this very substantial development.

The town council would strongly encourage anyone with an interest to take this opportunity to ask questions and contribute their views at an open event on Saturday, from 10 to noon, in the Milton Rooms, Malton, where the Estate is providing a further opportunity to continue the dialogue with the public on this plan.

Mike Skehan, clerk, on behalf of Malton Town Council