RESIDENTS are to set up a community trust in an effort to ensure they have a voice in the development of the Hungate area of York.

Hungate is the area stretching between the River Foss and Stonebow, and out to Foss Islands Road.

Crosby Homes plans to develop it in a £100 million transformation, building homes, businesses and some leisure facilities.

But before putting in a planning application in September, Crosby has been consulting residents through a community planning weekend and through the Hungate Community Forum.

Now a group of residents is setting up a Hungate Community Trust, with the aim of securing greater influence in the area's future.

Gordon Campbell-Thomas, trust spokesman, said a meeting to set up the trust had been attended by about 30 people and had gone very well.

He said: "The idea of a trust is that it will be a vehicle for the aims and aspirations of the citizens of York to be delivered on the site, in conjunction with developers.

"The trust will be a registered charity. We will be in effect the voice of the people that live in York."

Another meeting is to be held next month to decide the trust's constitution.

He said similar community trusts had been set up in other parts of the country and representatives from some of these would be at the meeting.

"It could be that the trust will oversee the long-term management of the site," he said.

There could be a clause written into the development's planning permission requiring the developers to consult the community.

"We're not opposed to the developers. We want the right sort of development and we want to work with the developers in achieving that."

Phil Darcy, managing director of Crosby Homes (Yorkshire) Ltd, said: "We will be interested to hear any proposals coming forward from the people who attended Tuesday evening's meeting and see how best we can work with them towards the attainment of mutually achievable objectives for the Hungate site.

"We are keen to encourage ongoing involvement in the community planning process and all those who were involved in Tuesday's meeting will be most welcome to attend the next Hungate Community Forum meeting at the National Centre for Early Music in York on the evening of June 11."

Updated: 16:53 Thursday, May 23, 2002