A VILLAGE pub has been added to a list of places which are valuable to York communities, but a similar bid for a school playing field has been rejected.

Applications to list The Grey Horse Inn in Elvington and Osbaldwick Primary School playing fields were decided by a senior councillor this week.

The assets of community value (ACV) list recognises places or buildings that further social wellbeing or the social interests of a local community.

So far York’s list contains 11 pubs as well as shops, sports facilities and open spaces.

The Grey Horse, which is owned by pub company Punch Taverns, was nominated by Elvington’s parish council.

They said that as the only pub in the village, it plays a central part in village life and is important to Elvington’s community.

The pub is not only used for food and drink, but it also hosts quiz nights, darts and other games evenings. It is particularly popular as a focal point on summer weekends and bank holidays, they added.

Council officers said the pub meets the criteria to be listed as an ACV, and follows a strong precedent set elsewhere.

The second application to be decided at Monday’s meeting, for Osbaldwick Primary School playing fields on The Leyes, also came from a parish council.

The school currently occupies two different sites, after Osbaldwick primary merged with the old Derwent school.

Earlier this year the school carried out a consultation with parents about bringing both parts of the school on to one site. The parish council applied for the ACV listing in a bid to make sure the playing fields could not be sold off for development without the community being first given chance to buy the land.

The application said the playing fields perform a social function for pupils, and added that Osbaldwick Sports Club have long wanted better bowling green facilities in the area, something the school playing fields would be perfect for.

However, council staff said it did not meet the criteria for an asset of community value, and added that other legal rules stop school playing fields being sold without government permission.