DEVELOPERS are set to get the go-ahead to build houses on a York school playing field, after completing a £2.5 million deal with council officers.

City of York Council has sold land at Osbaldwick Lane to Harron Homes (Yorkshire) Ltd, enabling the firm to proceed with plans for 23 new homes.

The firm's proposals will now go before a planning committee next week, with councillors advised to approve the scheme.

Outline consent has already been granted, and planning officer Diane Cragg said the proposals should be approved.

The development will consist of six terraced houses and 17 detached houses, all with garages. A spokesman for the firm said the scheme would "improve the character of the area" and benefit the wider community.

Proceeds from the sale, which amount to £2,422,317 before VAT, will be used to develop sports facilities for the adjoining Derwent School, to be used by the school and community groups.

A floodlit multi-use games area (Muga) will be built, along with a new football pitch and changing rooms.

The provision of facilities was a condition of the sale of the land, but there was much controversy when the sale was first proposed in 2005.

Local councillor David Wilde told The Press at the time: "There are still hundreds of school playing fields across the country disappearing under the bricks of developers.

"This playing field adjacent to Derwent School proposes to house 22 homes, taking up two-thirds of the site with only a third left over for new sports pitches." The number of homes has since increased to 23.

The application will be considered by the council's east area planning sub-committee on Thursday, January 24.

At the same meeting, councillors will also consider plans to build a care home on land south of Centurion Office Park in Tribune Way, Clifton Moor.

As reported in The Press, a similar scheme has been refused in the past, and local residents have voiced concerns that the development will lead to increased traffic in their street.

But planning officer Michael Jones said the creation of jobs, and the lack of success in attracting other business to the site means the care home scheme should be approved.