Haxby Town Council has reaffirmed its belief it would prefer a future railway station serving the town to be built near York’s Outer Ring Road.

The view, confirmed at an extraordinary meeting on Thursday, comes amid splits in the town over current plans to site the station on Towthorpe Road.

Ruling Liberal Democrats on City of York Council say opposition to their proposed site may derail the project due to a deadline for government funding.

Haxby Railway Station: Towthorpe Road site opposed by York Labour

However, many town councillors and Haxby campaigner Roland Pearson says the Towthorpe road site is isolated from the village as well as unsafe.

Either way, town councillors also ratified their decision of December 2021 that should City of York Council place the station on Towthorpe Road, the two councils would work together to mitigate any problems that may arise from this.

War of words over best site for new railway station at Haxby, York

Former town council chairman Mark Guildford told the Press afterwards his council wished to have a productive dialogue with York on the issue.

Campaigner Roland Pearson said the meeting confirmed the town council opposed the city’s favoured site. Some 15 people attended the meeting, he added.

Roland Pearson's one-man campaign against Haxby Railway Station site

City councillor Ed Pearson (no relation) said he gave York’s perspective on the plans to the meeting.

“It’s going full steam ahead at Towthorpe. Towthorpe is the only place,” he also told the Press afterwards.