A BID submitted for an eco-town on a site north of York looks set to fail, according to City of York Council chiefs.

Council bosses believe Hallam Land Management and the Commercial Estates Group's bid for the Clifton Gate eco-town, which would be built immediately north of Clifton Moor, is "unlikely" to be short-listed.

An eco-town will be built in the Leeds City Region, and the findings of a study by the organisation into alternative sites in the region for the settlement will be reported next month.

A City of York Council report, which will be considered on Monday at a meeting of the authority's executive members for city strategy and advisory panel, says the Government will not formally rule out any of the eco-town bids in the region until it considers the findings of the study.

But the report says that, when measured against the key criteria for the assessment of alternative sites, it is officers' opinion that it is unlikely the town will be short-listed, given its location in the draft Green Belt, capacity issues on the outer ring road and "the priority to be given to the regeneration of significant brownfield land at York Northwest as part of the New Growth Point proposals."

The report says the town is also unlikely to be included on the list given the potential adverse impacts on York Northwest of a major Greenfield "competitor site" in close proximity, and given the availability of non green belt and brownfield sites in other parts of the region that could accommodate an eco-town.

Steve Galloway, City of York Council's executive member for city strategy, said: "My expectation now is that when the Leeds City Region consultants report to leaders on June 12, they will not be recommending Clifton Gate as an eco town site."

The Press contacted Hallam Land Management, but it was unable to comment on the story.