THE charity behind a controversial flats scheme has submitted a new version of its original planning application.

The Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution (RMBI) says it has scaled down the development at Connaught Court, in Fulford Road, by cutting the number of houses by 15 per cent.

But objectors said it was still "bad news for Fulford" as it would eat into attractive green space.

A storm of protest has blown up since the charity submitted outline plans to City of York Council for residential development in the grounds of Connaught Court, a home for more than 100 older and mentally frail residents.

The charity recently withdrew its original proposals for the site and has now submitted new plans designed to improve the existing facilities and to provide additional accommodation for frail older people. It has now reduced the number of houses from 54 to 46.

The scheme also creates a new public access "green corridor" through the site and also retains the established trees and proposes new tree planting. The charity is also offering to provide much-needed car-parking for the local surgery patients, which is designed to ease on-street parking problems in the vicinity.

The new application by RMBI is for the building of extra care sheltered accommodation, an extension to the elderly mentally frail unit on the site, a mix of houses and flats and the provision of a new access road and car parking. The bowling green, which provides a leisure amenity, will be retained, but relocated elsewhere on the site, as part of the plan.

At this stage, the charity has submitted layouts of how the site might look, showing the location, height and scale of the proposed new housing.

If outline planning permission is granted there would be further applications submitted for detailed approval by the council's planning committee.

RMBI has pledged that all money raised as a result of the sale of part of the site for housing will be ploughed back into the care of older people.

Roger Friend, director of fundraising, said: "As a charity, we need to raise funds for any improvements or additions to our service we wish to carry out.

"We are sympathetic to the concerns of our neighbours and that is reflected in the plans we have submitted."

But Green Party councillor Andy D'Agorne said: "It doesn't make any difference in terms of its impact on the conservation area. It will still damage the parkland setting."

Janet O'Neill, of local planning consultants O'Neill Associates, who are working with RMBI on the application, said that the plans aimed to retain as much of the open character of the site as possible.

Updated: 10:41 Wednesday, January 26, 2005