The Northern Gateway scheme began life on a city council "wish list" but rapidly became one of its most controversial developments.

Park & Ride had been one of City of York Council's most high-profile success stories - it is estimated that existing schemes keep 500,000 cars out of York city centre each year - and the council was understandably keen to build on this success.

So when it was invited to bid for Government money for capital projects in 1996, the authority drew up a plan to build a new country park and a 1,000-space Park & Ride development on land west of the A19. The price: £2.5 million.

In fact it was six years earlier when council officials first earmarked the site at Rawcliffe as the best place in the area for such a scheme. There was a problem, however: it was in the green belt.

But in 1993 it was agreed that green belt land could be developed for park and ride where no adequate alternatives existed. The first detailed designs for the Northern Gateway followed in the spring of 1996.

The proposal immediately ran into criticism. It was to be built on green belt land that had been in the Ryedale District Council area before the local government shake-up.

Former Ryedale residents claimed the new unitary council was turning the countryside on their doorstep into a giant car park.

Although the idea was to stop traffic congestion in York city centre, they believed it would cause gridlock on the already busy Shipton Road and the roundabout linking the A19 with York's outer ring road.

They also feared that the single access road from the site to the A19 would not be adequate.

The council revised the plans and pressed ahead. By the end of 1996 it had won the money it needed.

Soon, however, the protests were growing. Local residents opposing the Northern Gateway were joined by green groups, including the York Natural Environment Trust which had overseen the creation of the adjacent Rawcliffe Meadows conservation area.

A pressure group was formed to campaign for the scheme to be dropped. The Northern Gateway Opposition group, led by residents including Kerry Hutchinson, began with more than 100 letters of opposition.

New objections were raised. Campaigners claimed the council had not submitted a planning application for change of use from agricultural land; that projections for a 2.5 per cent traffic increase at the A19-A1237 junction were unrealistic; and that the local environment would be damaged by an estimated 40 per cent increase in carbon monoxide levels.

More than 500 people signed a petition protesting against the Northern Gateway scheme. Objectors came face-to-face with members of the planning committee as they inspected the site. Planners were left in no doubt about the strength of feeling on the issue.

Meanwhile a residents' group supporting the scheme accused protesters of being 'Nimbies' (Not In My Backyard).

The fight became very heated and quite personal. John Rigby, former director of environment and development services with the City of York Council bore the brunt of some stringent criticism.

The council kept faith with the scheme. But it realised the level of concern meant that the ultimate decision would need to be referred upwards. So it fell to Environment Secretary John Prescott to make the choice.

Today Mr Prescott gave the green light to the Northern Gateway. And City of York Council found that sometimes wishes do come true.

see NEWS 'Park and ride gets go-ahead'

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