PLANS to move a railway crossing on the outskirts of York have been shelved after Network Rail and people in the area could not agree on a replacement.

Bishopthorpe crossing, north of Copmanthorpe, was earmarked for closure and rail bosses wanted to replace it with a new level crossing further from the village centre.

The original plan was opposed by the parish council, the city councillor, and York Outer MP Julian Sturdy who, instead, wanted a footbridge over the railway lines in the centre of the village.

A new bridge or underpass near the recreation centre would join Temple Lane and Drome Road to the rest of the village, and city councillor David Carr said that would be a more sustainable location and ultimately better value for money, even though it would cost more to construct.

By contrast, Network Rail's plan for another level crossing at Beckett's crossing would be on the long-distance Ebor Way walk but would not be useful for people in Copmanthorpe, he added.

A row blew up over the plans in early March this year, and now a Network Rail spokesman has said that with limited cash available for crossing closures the footbridge scheme proved too expensive.

Rob McIntosh, route managing director for Network Rail, said: "Keeping people safe on the railways is at the heart of everything we do and, when it comes to level crossings, we believe the most effective way of reducing level crossing risk is to close them. Resources for closing crossings come from a national fund, with the amount being determined by the level of risk at that particular crossing.

"As we went through the process of developing options for closing the crossing at Copmanthorpe, it became clear that, given the relatively low level of risk at that crossing, the cost of closing the crossing would exceed the funding that could be allocated to it. It also became clear that there was significant local opposition to our proposal."

Mr McIntosh said they would be happy to talk to people in the area about the crossings in the future, especially if the recreation centre expansion plans go ahead - an offer that Cllr Carr said he and the parish council welcomed.