YORK St John University has pulled out of the community stadium project months after planning permission was granted, it has emerged.

The university is no longer to be part of the "community" aspect of the stadium project, officials from both York St John and City of York Council have confirmed.

York St John's Institute of Community Sport was one of five community and charitable organisations trumpeted in the original plans for the full community stadium complex, all planning to take space in the eastern stand of the ground.

But the university's chief operating officers David Chesser has confirmed that those plans have been abandoned. He said: “Since becoming associated with the community stadium project some years ago York St John has undergone changes to its estate which makes it commercially unviable to continue our involvement.

"We have since opened our new sports facility, Nestlé Rowntree Park, on Haxby Road. A new sports centre at the site, planned to open in September next year, will house a range of facilities and teaching space and the wide range of outdoor pitches are already being used by our students and community groups."

The decision was taken around two months ago, a university spokesman has confirmed, but no mention of it was made in a progress report presented to the city council's Executive last week.

The project team managing the stadium plans claim York St John's withdrawal will not harm the overall scheme.

Project officer Paul Forrest said: “We were delighted when York St John University were among the first organisations to express an interest in using space at the community stadium.

"Since then, yet more have approached us and, while the university's position changed a few months ago, ours hasn’t and we continue to have sufficient project partners."

The university's agreement for York City Knights to use its Haxby Road ground as a training centre still stands, Mr Chesser said.

“Our agreement with City of York Council and York City Knights regarding our facilities at Nestlé Rowntree Park is unaffected by this decision. The club uses our Haxby Road facilities two to three times a week.”