PLANS are afoot to build a new swimming pool at a York private school.

St Peter's School, in Bootham, has put in an outline planning application to City of York Council to knock down its existing swimming pool building and replace it with a much bigger one.

The current pool, which employs two part-time staff and is open to pupils during the week, has a floor space covering 591 square metres and the new one would be larger, at 845 square metres.

Precise details from the outline plan have yet to be published, but more will be known as the scheme develops.

Clifton ward councillor Ken King said he would like the school to consider opening the pool to the public or at least allowing other schools to use it.

He said: "If the school hopes to build a larger swimming pool and the application is successful I would really like to see it open to public use and if not that, open to other educational establishments in the city at the very least."

Last year, the school was at the centre of a long-running public inquiry over a controversial public footpath running through its grounds.

That ended in November after councillors allowed the school to erect gates closing it to the public.

The school had been at loggerheads with residents for more than two years, over its attempts to close the path, which links Westminster Road with North Parade.

A public inquiry found in favour of the school, and a City of York Council planning meeting granted retrospective permission for the school to shut off the path.

Meanwhile last week The Press revealed that a multi-million pound sports complex on the outskirts of York has been given the go-ahead.

The Civil Service Sports Council (CSSC) wants to build on 4.5 hectares of land near Clifton Moor, providing - facilities for swimming, football, cricket and tennis.

The application for the development to replace the CSSC's old Boroughbridge Road club, which closed four years ago, was approved by City of York Council planning committee.

It will mainly be a private club for civil servants, but it will also be open to the public, mainly local schools and sports teams.

Councillors who rubber-stamped the plan said they welcomed the new sports facilities, but were not completely happy with the location.