THE LONG-awaited redevelopment of a brownfield site in York could be moving a step closer, with councillors expected to approve crucial new access roads.

The British Sugar site, off Boroughbridge Road, has lain empty and disused since the factory closed a decade ago.

Hopes for a major housing redevelopment, including more than 1000 new homes, have been stuck in the planning process since late 2014. This week a planning application for crucial new access roads looks set to be approved.

A planning committee is due to meet on Thursday, and members have been urged to approve the construction of two access roads on to the site - onto Millfield Lane and Boroughbridge Road - as well as a link road across the old Manor School site.

In a written report prepared for the meeting, planning officials have told councillors that approving the roads will “assist in facilitating re-use of a large brownfield site”.

The plans also include the demolition of the old Manor School buildings, which have been empty since 2009, and were hit by arsonists in early 2015.

The poor state of the school buildings has been given as one reason the former school fields have been officially closed to public access, with gates welded shut in recent weeks.

Now a City of York Council spokesman has said more open access to the site once the buildings are demolished will be something for councillors to decide.

Neil Ferris, director of economy and place, has also confirmed the authority is still talking to British Sugar about the wider homes plans.

“The council has been working closely with the landowner for a number of years in seeking to achieve a planning outcome to deliver much-needed housing for the city, and which complies with our planning policies on issues such as open space and affordable housing.

“The council is continuing to actively engage with the landowner to achieve this goal as the parallel planning appeal process moves towards a public inquiry later in the year or early next year.”

One version of the wider plans is still being decided by the council’s planning department but on another, duplicate, version British Sugar have appealed to a planning inspector.