A VICAR has asked for his village to leave Selby and become part of York following claims that its council ignored public opinion.

Rev John Roden has been a leading opponent of development in Main Street, Appleton Roebuck.

He has asked if the village can withdraw from Selby District Council after numerous objections were "ignored" by the authority.

He said: "The council's own conservation committee rejected the application, as did the parish council, the local and district councillors, the parish church council, the Diocese of York and basically the whole community via 90 letters against it.

"By a small majority, the planning committee decided to give the developer the go-ahead. Why a few decided to overturn all the recommendations remains a mystery. Our genuine concerns and complaints have been completely ignored.

"Many in Appleton Roebuck would dearly like to secede from Selby and be part of York. Any chance?"

Villagers, including Rev Roden, gathered almost exactly a year ago to meet Selby District Councillors and discuss plans to build two houses on the site behind Woodview, in Main Street.

The work meant Main Street would have to be narrowed to achieve necessary visibility from the driveway.

Rev Roden said: "The planning committee was given written details by a planning officer stating that, in order to give access to the proposed development, Main Street would have to be narrowed '70 metres to the east'.

"Imagine our dismay when, two weeks ago, we discovered that the road was being narrowed by double that length. On behalf of the community, I wrote a detailed letter to the chief executives of Selby District Council and North Yorkshire County Council expressing our anger at this change and pointing out all the many difficulties and dangers.

"I was promised that matters would be fully investigated. Work recommenced yesterday before any replies had been received."

Richard Burrows, Selby District Council's principal planning officer, said: "My understanding is that there has been a dialogue with the highways authority, which is the most important party in this.

"It isn't the case that the carriageway narrowing is any different to what's shown in the plans. It is what has been agreed.

"People's views were taken into account, and the ombudsman agreed that it is the case. The decision reached by the planning committee does not coincide with what aspects of the village wanted to happen, but that's democracy.

"As to seceding from Selby, that's down to the Boundary Commission."

Updated: 12:07 Wednesday, December 11, 2002