A CAMPAIGNER who blocked plans for housing in a field near York almost a quarter of a century ago wants local people to fight new proposals to develop it under York’s Local Plan.

Peter Tuffs, of Huntington, said that in 1993, the field at New Earswick was proposed for development by its owner, the Joseph Rowntree Housing Trust, which wanted to build a retirement community there.

“I decided to join in the fight to stop this field being lost forever to development,” he said.

“I realised quite quickly that more was probably required than just raising concerns through the local planning process. I decided to organise a protest and galvanise local residents in the New Earswick streets that overlooked the field under threat.

“I put notes through doors outlining what was at stake; I made lots of posters - “SAVE OUR FIELDS”, “SAVE OUR GREENBELT” and “NEW EARSWICK SAYS NO” – and arranged to meet a reporter and photographer from what was then the Yorkshire Evening Press on a cold January Saturday morning at the field.

“I had no idea how many people might turn up but turn up they did.”

He said he took time off work to take part in a public inquiry held at New Earswick Folk Hall and was delighted when the field was saved from development.

York Press:

He said there had since been a lack of care of the former playing-field, with grass never being cut regularly again and now, some 23 years later, it was ‘last chance saloon’ again for the field, with proposals for 104 new houses on the land.

“So is it too much to ask local residents of New Earswick and Huntington to raise objections to this proposed development in their droves?” he asked.

“Surely we should be fighting to preserve areas of recreation and green space such as this in and amongst our residential areas?

“I sincerely hope that “our field” can once again be saved from the current development plans of its owner. It needs lots of people to do something by September 12.

“Go to www.york.gov.uk/localplan and Site Reference H46 and raise your objections.

“Even better, galvanise your friends and neighbours, maybe get some posters made and try and persuade your local paper to come and take a photo and report your concerns! It worked 23 years ago!”

Joel Owen, deputy director of the Joseph Rowntree Housing Trust, said: “York is in desperate need of more high quality, affordable homes, so we’ve put forward this land which could be used to provide homes for over 100 families.

“The York Local Plan is still going through its consultation process, so no firm decisions on where new homes will be created have been made.

“If this development does go ahead, we’ll work closely with the local community as we draw up the plans.”