NESTLE Rowntree Athletics Club have estimated that it would cost York City "hundreds of thousands of pounds" to provide new athletics facilities at York University.

The football club submitted a planning application on Monday to City of York Council to redevelop Huntington Stadium in line with Football League requirements with the current lease at Bootham Crescent due to expire next summer.

Part of the plan involves the removal of the current athletics facilities at Huntington and the financial responsibility of providing an alternative site for the athletes remains with the football club.

A meeting between football club and athletics club officials yesterday was described "as friendly and down-to-earth" by Nestl Rowntree spokesman Gordon Priestley.

He said: "Three things were agreed. One, we want to help to ensure that York City survives.

"Two, we are all concerned that there has to be an all-weather county standard athletics facility in York and, three, that if that involves any moves, all capital costs will be paid by York City Football Club.

"The football club seem to think that they need to get us out of our current property. We are not quite so convinced but we will look at anything to be helpful.

"It is still feasible but it's going to be expensive. We are talking hundreds and not tens of thousands of pounds.

"But Ian McAndrew and his team of architects and surveyors will be assessing the costs once we put forward our final requirements. We will be doing that as quickly as we can and it is also important that we talk to York University to see whether they can cope.

"We have talked to the university but there's not a firm plan for them to accept or reject yet. I think they want us and we are not adverse to going."

The athletics club are now assessing the football club's proposal and will detail their specific requirements by the end of December.

Priestley said the athletics club would require floodlights, an all-weather running track, long jump pits, a high jump area, throwing area, a hammer cage, training facilities and a covered stand for spectators and school children.

A petition from the athletics community has already gained more than 2,000 signatures and Priestley believes there is widespread concern about the future of athletics in the county.

He said: "The plan involves a move from a perfectly good facility that we would not dream of leaving if it was not for the plight of the football club. There is a couple of thousand signatures on a petition to save the stadium or to maintain another facility in York.

"That is just from athletes and I do not know how many signatures we would get if we took into account the health and education community as well.

"The club currently has over 300 members and the track is also used by all the schools in the York and North Yorkshire area. It is in use all-year round."

York City Stadium Development Director, Ian McAndrew said, "Our meeting with the Nestle Rowntree Athletics Club and UK Athletics was very positive and we are grateful to them for their accommodating approach.

"We have given them the opportunity to study the plans in detail and we will now meet again in around two weeks' time to discuss issues further.

"This will prove a costly exercise for York City. We are working from a very tight budget, but we are fully committed to the continuation of a county standard athletics facility in the city and do intend to provide the athletes with a satisfactory alternative to Huntington Stadium."

Updated: 11:10 Wednesday, November 26, 2003