PLANS for four homes as part of York's Derwenthorpe development have been abandoned after concerns were raised about the impact on wet grasslands and wildlife.

The Joseph Rowntree Housing Trust originally sought to build the properties in a field as part of its 540-home model village scheme at Osbaldwick, on York's eastern outskirts.

But Osbaldwick Parish Council objected on the basis that the field should be kept as open space, in accordance with a decision made by the Secretary of State in 2007 following a public inquiry.

Parish chairman and York councillor Mark Warters claimed development of the land would compromise the area as an amenity and wildlife open space.

In a letter to the agent, Hannah Blackburn, development management officer at City of York Council, said the authority's ecology and countryside officer acknowledged that the field was to be retained as a nature reserve to maintain habitat for great crested newts, given the conservation value of wet grassland habitat.

"She considers that the revised scheme would result in the loss of more prominent areas of wet grassland (lying to the east of the pond), puts the northern hedgerow at risk of inappropriate management and degradation, introduces an area of wildflower grassland that is unlikely to be sustainable in the long term and puts pressure from increased recreational access on the area of land," she said.

"Whilst the enhancements proposed are accepted, the revised layout reduces the nature conservation value of the area by introducing houses, lighting and roads."

John Hocking, executive director of the trust, said that following consultations with Derwenthorpe residents and others in the local community last year, the trust submitted plans to revise a planning consent for 70 new homes to be built as part of the latest phase of the development.

"As this application has been going through the planning process, we've taken on board feedback from the council and reduced the number of homes to 66, in order to conserve wet grasslands which are near to the site," he said.