A FORMER school building in York has a new tenant.

Global York – a Christian charity that runs workshops and activities for children and young people – is due to move into the former home of Manor CE School, in Low Poppleton Lane.

Meanwhile, Manor School pupils are due to move into their new, purpose-built £17.6 million facility, in Millfield Lane, next week.

The decision to lease the empty school building by City of York Council comes after it was revealed the sale of the site may be delayed for up to a year because the land could form part of one of the main access routes into the York Northwest development.

The council said it would delay disposing of the site until the planning process for this development had been completed and the developer appointed.

Neil Hindhaugh, the council’s head of Property Services, said: “There are significant costs involved in the management or demolition of an empty building and fields, and therefore, in the meantime, the site has been leased to Global, a registered charity.

“Global will operate the building as a community facility and is very open to local community involvement.”

But City of York councillor Tracey Simpson-Laing, who represents Acomb ward, said she feared the traffic generated by people using Global’s services would disturb nearby residents.

She said: “I know many residents have enjoyed quiet weekends and evenings in the area due to the school’s operating time.

“However, I have been told that Global will be in the premises for the next 12 months, so I expect the site will be in use seven days a week, during the day and evening.

“Obviously this change of use will attract a lot of cars on an evening and weekend and I would ask that Global asks its congregations to consider carefully how they travel to the site and respect the privacy of local residents.”

Coun Simpson-Laing met with senior council officers last week to press for answers about the future of the site.

She said it was important that the playing fields were retained by the council for public use, but feared the council favoured using the site as an access road to the York Northwest site.

“Local residents have gone through so much upheaval with the road works for the new school at the junction with Beckfield Lane,” she said. “I have been led to believe that in the future this may be ripped up for an access road to York Northwest, in which case residents will be extremely angry.”