PROTESTERS fighting council plans to sell off half the Oaken Grove Primary School site in Haxby, York, for housing are set to turn out in force to lobby councillors at a site meeting on Tuesday.

Their protest comes as the City of York Council planning committee, due to meet two days later, is being recommended to conditionally approve proposals to re-develop the school site with housing and a community facility, while keeping the playing fields for community use.

Local residents claim they were not adequately consulted when plans for the site were discussed last year.

They are angry that many people were under the impression that no housing would be built on the site after a statement made at a public meeting in October 2000.

Minutes of that meeting say an audience member asked: "One concern is that if a school were to close, the land may be used by developers to build houses, resulting in a new demand for school places."

The minuted answer was: "There is a shortage of green belt area in the community. The possibility of anybody getting planning permission to build houses on school playing fields is remote."

The three senior education officers at that meeting have since left the council.

Christine McKenna, from the residents' protest group, said they had met the City of York Council's environment and development boss, Roy Templeman, to discuss their concerns.

Mr Templeman has insisted that there has been much consultation - 25 meetings since January 2001 with community groups, ward committee and representatives of the town council and other interested community parties.

A report to next Thursday's planning committee meeting says the existing school buildings are surplus to requirements and residents will not be unduly affected by the proposals.

"The community would benefit from the provision of a community building on the site, access to the playing fields as public open space, and improved pedestrian and cycle access between the area and the village centre."

Updated: 10:43 Saturday, April 20, 2002