DO not shut us in our village - that is the plea from a parish council chairman after city bosses revealed proposals to control race-day traffic in York.

City of York Council is asking residents for their views on a draft plan for dealing with traffic during race days.

Highways chiefs want to know whether residents would prefer the proposals to be implemented for every day of every race meeting - about 15 days a year - or only during the very busy days of major meetings.

But Mike Irwin, chairman of Copmanthorpe Parish Council, said the plans, if adopted, would see villagers "locked in" to their community - and it was unfair for them to be inconvenienced for the sake of race-goers.

The traffic plan would see Copmanthorpe affected during the famous Ebor meeting. It would mean Top Lane - the most direct route from the village to York - would be closed between 9.30am to 2pm.

Those wanting to get to and from the city centre would only be able to do so by using junctions with the A64 at Askham Bryan and Manor Heath.

But Coun Irwin said these junctions were time-consuming and even dangerous. He said: "There are very few people who wish to get out at that time of day - between 9.30am and 2pm.

"Surely they could let one or two people filter in.

"I would feel (if the plan was adopted) they were being most unreasonable to their own residents in Copmanthorpe, and they were pandering to the race traffic.

"We've managed to live with Ebor for 100 or so years, certainly since we've lived here we've managed to cope with traffic during the Ebor period.

"We've never before been locked in. I fail to see why they should impose this restriction on us just because of Ebor."

Village residents will get the chance to discuss the proposals at a parish council meeting tomorrow.

Stewart Harrison, chairman of Bishopthorpe Parish Council, said the plans would be discussed at a parish council meeting on January 24 - and the village was asking for an extension to the consultation deadline to make its views known.

But he said: "After the Royal Ascot meeting at York there was a general feeling in the parish council and the village that it (the traffic plan) was a reasonable success - so I don't think there will be any major objections."

Peter Evely, head of network management at City of York Council, said: "The aim of the consultation is to gauge residents' views on the race traffic proposals.

"The consultation is open until January 24, and we will review the results once all the responses have been gathered in."

Updated: 10:02 Monday, January 09, 2006