DEVELOPERS want to build up to 200 family homes on the site of former grain stores on the outskirts of York.

For two decades until 2003, three huge buildings in Water Lane, Rawcliffe, stored vast quantities of grain.

But in 2005, the 19-acre site was bought by Harrogate-based property firm Wilton Developments.

Now the company is preparing to submit plans to City of York Council for residential development involving up to 200 family homes.

Beverley Smith, who acts for Wilton, said the site was allocated for employment purposes but, during a public consultation earlier this year, a majority of the local population had supported the proposals for housing.

She said 5,000 households were leafleted and more than 130 people had attended a public consultation event held at Canon Lee School in February, at which a number of options were presented.

"It went very well, it was very positive," she said.

She said the site currently suffered from problems of trespass and illegal activity, and the proposed housing would blend sympathetically into the surrounding area as well as helping to meet the city's needs for housing.

She said that a planning application was set to be submitted to City of York Council shortly.

The grain stores are just the latest in a series of brownfield sites in York to become available for redevelopment, with others including the former Terry's chocolate factory, the British Sugar beet processing plant, York Central and part of the Nestlé Rowntree factory site.

Wilton Developments has informed Osbaldwick Parish Council of its grain store proposals, saying it might be "helpful for its ongoing objections" to plans for a 540-home model village on a greenfield site at Osbaldwick.

Parish chairman Malcolm Kettlestring said the availability of such a number of large brownfield sites in York meant there could no longer be any justification for the development of green fields such as the one at Osbaldwick, or another site at Germany Beck, Fulford, for housing.

The results of a public inquiry into the Fulford and Osbaldwick schemes are expected later this month.