CAMPAIGNERS dismayed over long term housing proposals for York are threatening to turn to the courts to stop highly controversial plans being made formal in York.

The Earswick Action Group is fighting plans for a major housing scheme close to their village, and even though the draft local plan published by City of York Council on Friday has taken the site out contention for development before 2030, local residents are still furious about the proposals.

The 95 hectare site, which could have up to 2000 new houses built on it, has been rejected as an initial site for development because of infrastructure problems and worries about congestion on the A1237. However, it has been listed as a "safeguarded site" for potential development after the life of this plan, and campaigners they believe it could be brought forward sooner.

But the council's head of planning Martin Grainger said that across the city some land previously considered for the local plan was no longer deemed suitable, and the Earswick site in particular could not be built on before 2030.

He added: "The plan includes sufficient land to meet the city’s housing needs without the inclusion of these now safeguarded sites, and they would only need to be considered for development post 2030 providing any issues could be overcome. This would also be subject to public consultation and council member approval.”

But members of the action group have confirmed they are pressing ahead with their plans to look at legal action as a way of challenging the plan.

A spokesman said they want to delay the process for long enough that the Government planning inspector's work on the plan does not begin until after the May elections, meaning people have a chance to vote on it at the polls, and a fundraising drive has already raised £3000 for a fighting fund.

In Elvington, campaigners are relieved that plans for a gypsy and travellers site have been abandoned, but are still angry about what they see as an unfairly high concentration of development - both housing and business sites - around their village The chairman of campaign group Keep Elvington Rural, John Gallery said: "Our first reaction is that we are pleased the council has decided not to include the Gypsy and traveller site, which is something most people in the village were unhappy about, but I still think there is more housing planned for Elvington that should be the case."

The group is now planning meetings in the village and is urging people to have their say in final round of public consultation on the draft local plan, due to launch in October.