A MULTIPLE sclerosis sufferer has made a fresh appeal for a tennis centre not to be built next to the York respite centre upon which he relies so heavily.

Mike Lewis spoke of his fears that he may no longer feel able to stay at Woodlands Respite Care Centre, off Hull Road, if the tennis centre, proposed by David Lloyd's Next Generation company, goes ahead.

Woodlands cares for people with Multiple Sclerosis, which is an incurable, chronic disease of the central nervous system, causing messages not to get to the brain and other parts of the body.

Speaking on behalf of other sufferers at Woodlands, Mike, 39, said he is utterly reliant upon the peace, quiet and tranquillity there.

Yet, despite changes made to the proposals, the tennis centre development would still see a car park with an estimated 1,000 car movements a day built just yards from sufferers' bedrooms.

Mike said: "I have days when I feel what I call MS-ey, when I feel so fatigued that it takes so much of my concentration to do simple things.

"If you've got other things going on around you that distract you or irritate you, it just becomes overwhelming."

Mike visits Woodlands from his home in Shropshire for two-week periods and it not only helps him, but helps his wife and family, who previously had to care for him 365 days a year.

"Woodlands saved my marriage," he said, "and my health, to a certain extent. But I'm not going to be able to come here any more if that development is there."

Mike said that when he was feeling very ill he needed to spend all his time in his bedroom and needed to be in restful surroundings to cope with the day.

He said: "If you look round Woodlands at any time, you will see bedroom windows open - we cannot hide behind double glazing.

"Some days I have to stay in bed and I have fresh air, a nice vista, and you even get rabbits in the grounds.

"It is very conducive to rest and relaxation and for someone seriously ill this is so important."

Vanessa Lindsay Smith, general manager at Woodlands, said she had spent sleepless nights worrying about the consequences for sufferers if there was a tennis centre next to Woodlands.

She said: I don't want to come over that we are getting on our high horse. I am not anti-Next Generation. If you gave me a petition to sign for a tennis centre somewhere else in York, I would be at the top of the list.

PICTURE: ROOM WITH A VIEW: MS sufferer Mike Lewis looks out of a bedroom window at Woodlands Respite Centre. He says he needs restful surroundings to cope with his day

Picture: Mike Tipping