COUNCILLORS have resisted demands by English Heritage to launch a study into the impact of new developments on York's historic fabric.

The Government conservation body has vowed to formally oppose the city's Local Plan until a detailed environmental capacity study is carried out to identify how much development can be handled.

But members of City of York Council's Green Belt working group last night voted five to four against such a study after planning officers said it would incur considerable costs and heap delays on the Local Plan process.

In a report to group members, they argued that a study would only duplicate work already carried out in the Green Belt review. Instead, they want a regional capacity study, with a separate appraisal by council officers of York's historic core.

Coun Quentin Macdonald (Lib Dem) told the meeting: "I have a basic sympathy with what is being proposed. But I don't need the ECS to tell me that we have got a major problem with traffic."

He added that they would be able to argue with government much more strongly on a regional, rather than city, level.

But Opposition Labour leader Dave Merrett told him: "You are just wanting to turn a blind eye to an issue that is crucial to the future of quality of life in this city."

He labelled a regional study a "cop-out" and said an overview was needed to assist council planning.

English Heritage's stance was also backed by York Civic Trust and the York Open Planning Forum. Forum chairwoman Alison Sinclair told councillors: "A full ECS, including an effective framework of indicators and guidelines, would so increase our ability to manage the pressure for change which is of so much concern to so many people at the present time."

Updated: 10:27 Thursday, January 29, 2004