VILLAGE campaigners have spoken of their dismay at seeing diggers move in on green fields they are fighting to protect.

Ground surveys and investigations are underway on the former Civil Service sports field on Boroughbridge Road, ahead of developers Miller Homes' application to build almost 300 homes on the site.

But members of a community group trying to produce a Neighbourhood Plan for the area have criticised the move, saying it should not be happening in the sensitive pre-election period.

Edie Jones, part of the neighbourhood planning committee for Nether and Upper Poppleton, spotted the work from the roadside.

She said the committee was working hard to produce a plan for the villages, and members were dismayed to see diggers in the site when the neighbourhood plan has been stopped in its tracks by the pre-election "purdah" period.

Miller Homes confirmed engineers had done some archaeological work on the site, and were now working on water monitoring and drainage surveys needed for the planning process.

A City of York Council spokesman said its staff knew of the archaeological works, but neither that nor drainage work would need permission from the authority.

But Mrs Jones said locals were angry to see the former sports field being dug up when the planning application had not been approved.

"We are concerned that this sends the message the site has planning permission, when it does not.

"This is a green field that we are trying to save by not letting it be built on before the British Sugar site is developed."

She said the group was worried about a huge increase in traffic along Boroughbridge Road when more than 1,000 homes are built in the nearby brownfield site - something that would be exacerbated by more homes on the Miller Homes site.

A Miller Homes spokesman added: “Construction work has not started on the Boroughbridge Road site. Our consultant engineers are currently undertaking ground water monitoring work to inform our drainage strategy. This is a normal stage in the planning application process. The planning application has not been rejected, it is still being considered by City of York Council.

“We believe our plans are well considered and will help meet the housing shortfall in York.

“We await the authority’s decision on our planning application.”