MORE details have been revealed about plans for the development of a former mushroom farm near Selby.

The derelict site in Gateforth has been targeted by vandals and arsonists in recent years, but York House Leisure, which runs award-winning retirement and holiday parks across Yorkshire and Scotland, says it will redevelop the site into "an environmentally-friendly retirement village".

An application submitted to Selby District Council outlines 168 low cost residential park homes, a community building, reception, shop and meeting area, and a village green and public and private amenity spaces.

Christopher Harrison, from Andrew Jackson Solicitors LLP, led the legal team that advised YHL on buying the site.

He said: "The site, and the buildings on it, had fallen into a derelict state, worsened by repeated acts of vandalism and fly-tipping, which meant that it was only attractive to a client who could see beyond its current state and realise the development opportunity for the community of what is a well located and potentially attractive site."

YHL said Gateforth Park would also be "an environmentally-friendly parkland site", which would include "on-site water features, lakes", onsite recycling of the derelict area, and steps taken to improve biodiversity around the site.

Tim Brierley, a director at YHL, said: "We are absolutely delighted that our plans for Gateforth Park have been formalised. This is a sustainable site with good pedestrian access to the village facilities at Thorpe Willoughby. As a retirement centre, traffic from the site will be minimal when compared to the previous operation of the mushroom farm.

The application also highlights other benefits including the creation of local jobs, services and investment, and co-director Phil Brierley said the company had a history of producing sites which had been praised for their environmental sustainability.

He said: "Significant investment in our parks over recent years has been recognised with accolades from both the English Tourist Board and Professor David Bellamy; the feedback that we have received from current owners has also been excellent. We are excited at the prospect of applying the same principles to our proposed development at Gateforth Park."

Mr Harrison said: "It has been a pleasure to act for York House Leisure on what proved to be a challenging transaction. We wish them every success with the development, which I believe will see a complete transformation of an unloved site into a 21st century retirement village with community, biodiversity and the environment at its heart."