RESIDENTS of a York cul-de-sac, bemused by plans to build speed bumps outside their homes, have won their battle to block the scheme.

The plans were part of a £25,000 scheme to improve road safety around Westfield School, Acomb, using speed tables and traffic cushions.

But people living in nearby Askham Grove said there was no need to extend the road humps to their cul-de-sac.

They claimed there were no problems with speeding traffic in the dead-end road, and that the project would cause unnecessary disruption.

And City of York Council's Planning and Transport (South Area) Sub-Committee agreed with them by throwing the Askham Grove part of the plans out.

The rest of the road safety scheme will go ahead as planned, with a 20 mph zone outside the school entrance approved unanimously by councillors.

Coun Steve Galloway said at the meeting: "There is a substantial brick wall at the end of the cul-de-sac which is a very effective curb on traffic speed.

"Taxpayers' money should not be wasted on unnecessary changes to our highways system."

Also at yesterday's meeting, members overturned controversial plans to open a 24-hour garage close to the centre of York.

Totalfinaelf UK had applied to build the station at the site of the existing filling station in Fulford Road, near Alma Terrace. It would have included a wide range of facilities, including round-the-clock jet washers, a car wash and garage shop.

But the plans provoked a storm of protest from nearby residents, concerned noise and intrusion from the new station would ruin their quality of life.

Council officers recommended the plans were refused, with development control officer Roger Armistead, saying: "The activity of vehicles using jet wash, car wash and vacuum bays is likely to cause nuisance to residents unless this can be contained by restrictive hours of operation, restriction in lighting levels and restriction in noise levels.

"The proposed 24-hour operation of the filling station will harm the living conditions of adjacent residents."

Committee member and Fulford councillor Mick Brighton said: "We agreed with the concerns of local residents. We discussed the issue, looked closely at the application and found no value in it, so we turned it down."

Updated: 15:20 Friday, October 18, 2002