PLANS for social housing on the site of a popular York club have suffered a blow after an application to demolish the building was refused.

The Joseph Rowntree Trust wants to demolish the New Earswick and District Bowls Club and other buildings at Tanners Yard so it can build 29 homes- a move that has led hundreds to sign a petition in opposition.

However, council planners say the trust, which has several housing schemes proposed around the city, did not supply enough information concerning the demolition.

The planners say the bowls club is listed as an asset of community value, but the buildings are not listed and are not in a conservation area. There is also no planning permission to redevelop the site.

Whilst the trust can apply to demolish the buildings before an application is submitted, it must give details beforehand about the demolition and the restoration of the site.

Their report said no details have been provided about the proposed method of demolition, how noise, dust and vibration would be managed, or how the site would be made good afterwards. There was also no survey work or proposed mitigation concerning protected species or trees.

Therefore, without such details the application to demolish the club and other buildings was refused. Details would be needed over these matters for any future approval, the planners decided.

A spokesman for the Joseph Rowntree told the Press: “We think there may have been a misunderstanding due to the clunky pro formas used in these processes.”

He continued: “The council has written to us setting out the validation requirements needed before they can consider our request for prior approval to demolish the building. Our understanding from the council officials dealing with the file is that nothing has been approved or refused at this stage.”

The spokesman requested the Press contact the council press office to confirm such matters, who replied the demolition was refused, as outlined.

Bowling club spokesman Ian Carr called it “embarrassing” for the trust to stumble over “one or two technicalities” in its application to demolish the building.

He said: “They will probably try again. It gives us a few more weeks in our campaign. We have massive support on Facebook, etc. We have 800 now, who have signed our petition. We are moving on, strongly.”

Ian said opposition was increasing against the housing plans and the club was confident it would win, just as the New Earswick swimming pool success fully fought closure plans several years ago.

He added: “We are confident we will stop the (housing) scheme. We have the right, they have the might. It’s back to square one for the trust. We’ll keep fighting the battle. We’ll fight it all the way.”