PLANS to build a huge eco-town on the outskirts of York were labelled a "monstrous joke", as councillors formally voiced their opposition to the scheme.

Coun Richard Moore (Lib Dem), slammed proposals for 5,500 homes on green belt land, immediately north of the A1237 at Clifton Moor. The "Clifton Gate" scheme was submitted to the Government by joint-developers Hallam Land Management and Commercial Estates Group, but infuriated council leaders, who felt they had been wrongly by-passed.

At last night's City of York Council meeting, Coun Moore said: "This is outrageous and should be resisted at all costs." He said the Government had advocated careful planning at a local level, only to hold "covert talks" with developers without the council's knowledge. Coun Moore, whose ward covers the site in question, presented a 398-name petition and seconded a motion by his fellow ward councillor Joe Watt, of the Conservative Party.

A number of councillors abstained from the vote, to ensure they could participate in any future planning debates, but the motion was passed by 15 votes to nine. Coun Watt said the local road infrastructure could not cope with any more traffic, and added: "I am so disappointed that Government overlooked to consult both the people and their elected representatives."

Labour leader David Scott accused council leader Steve Galloway of "scaremongering" over an application that was highly unlikely to succeed and failed to meet the Government's own criteria.

Coun Galloway quoted from a letter he had received from Baroness Andrews, of the Department for Communities and Local Government, which he said was not indicative of a minister "backsliding".

Several councillors including Dave Taylor, of the Green Party, and Labour's Janet Looker spoke in favour of the concept of eco-towns, but said the Clifton Gate scheme was inappropriate.