COUNCILLORS are being urged to throw out plans for a housing development near York in the light of a chronic shortage of employment land across the city.

Developers have applied to convert a disused manufacturing plant just off the A166 at Dunnington into new homes, but City of York Council planners are recommending a planning committee to refuse permission.

Property developers Antler Homes want to convert the old Renault Agriculture site into 24 new homes, but officers say the change of land use from industrial to residential premises could create problems for the city.

York Inward Investment Board has warned that employment sites are "in very short supply" in the city.

According to the board, there are 16 such sites in the city, only one of which is available on a freehold basis.

It warned that any further loss of land suitable for industry would damage York's economic growth.

Even though the site has not been used for three years, planning officers found that "there appears to be no good reason why the site is not capable of meeting employment needs", and noted that there had been some interest in using the land for industrial purposes. They therefore concluded that the proposals were "in conflict with employment land policies".

Planners were also concerned that the development would undermine the status of the city's Green Belt. Even though the new houses would be lower and take up less room than the existing buildings, the proposals were still considered to be "inappropriate", and in contravention of the council's strict Green Belt guidelines.

The housing development is also opposed by local residents, who fear that it would bring extra traffic congestion to an already busy road.

Council officers agreed, saying that the proposals were "likely to give rise to significant highway safety issues, including the likelihood of accidents." The council's planning and transport (east area) sub-committee will discuss the proposals at a meeting next week.

Sub-committee chairman Richard Moore said: "This site could provide an employment opportunity for local people rather than them having to commute into York or out to Stamford Bridge to work.

"We don't want to become commuter-land, and end up with a lot of housing and a lot of traffic."

Updated: 08:21 Friday, August 06, 2004