CONTROVERSIAL plans to develop 24 flats on a former school site in York look set to get the go-ahead, despite strong opposition from nearby residents.

Barratts York Ltd wants to create three separate blocks on the former Clifton Preparatory School site in The Avenue, York, and officers have recommended that councillors approve the plan.

The application has attracted fierce opposition from residents who believe the scale of the buildings to be too high.

They have since started proceedings for judicial review of a previous planning application approval.

They applied to extend the existing Clifton Conservation area to cover streets around The Avenue.

But councillors will be told on Thursday that the only streets "special" enough to be added to the conservation area would be Queen Anne's Road and North Parade. Officers say much of the terraced housing in the surrounding in streets of Grove View, Compton Street and Rose Street, is "plain and similar to may other houses of the same period in York which are not conservation areas".

A spokesman for the residents said today that they had believed up until late last week that all the streets they had requested for inclusion would be included.

He said they intended to carry on fighting the planning application and would be attending Thursday's meeting to speak to councillors.

Richard Graham, area development control officer, will tell councillors that Barratts has resubmitted the plans because of the judicial review application.

He said officers accepted certain procedures under planning regulations were not followed first time round, and had included these in the latest application report.

He said: "Although an application for a judicial review is still under consideration, it does not prevent members considering this application."

The application includes plans to remove five trees as part of the development, and to provide car parking for 24 cars.

Barratts has introduced a shallower roof pitch to the design of the third block and plans to plant 107 new trees.

It has also applied to demolish the school hall building.

Updated: 16:00 Monday, February 25, 2002