IT would be "completely unsustainable" and would "decimate attendance".

These are just two of the "serious concerns" York Racecourse bosses have raised to council traffic planners proposing to extend a successful congestion scheme to every race day on Knavesmire.

In a four-page letter to Peter Evely, City of York Council's head of network management, York Racecourse operations manager Brian Mordew said it would be "inappropriate" for the master plan, deployed with great success during Royal Ascot last summer, to be used "for the majority of the 15 or so York racedays in any season".

Council chiefs have collated the results of consultation on traffic management arrangements for future York race meetings, and will present the findings to members of the executive on February 7.

It asked organisations and residents how they felt about making permanent the use of the A64 to funnel all race traffic to Knavesmire during meetings.

Council highways experts have concluded that this is the best way of avoiding gridlocked streets in the city centre.

The scheme was a huge success during Royal Ascot, pushing traffic away from the city centre, which was kept gridlock-free.

The racecourse accepts the need to use a plan during big race meetings, and agrees the traffic management measures used during Royal Ascot were "a cause for celebration". But the race committee said: "We should be careful not to take the rather simplistic view that what worked for Ascot is certain to work for York racedays."

Mr Mordew said: "Application of access and parking charges on a Royal Ascot scale at York would be completely unsustainable and would decimate attendance."

"I must now highlight our serious concerns over the issues of the frequency and level of traffic management implementation and the funding.

"To introduce the road closures and one-way systems, which benefit the larger racedays for small crowds of 15,000 racegoers where less than 1,500 motor vehicles present on site is, in our view, unnecessary.

A council report to members reveals the cost of the plan would be £65,000 to implement, which could double with police costs. To police the Ebor and John Smith's Cup meetings would cost £26,710. Mr Evely, who wrote the report, states the plan "cannot be contemplated unless its delivery can be funded".

Councillors will be advised that there will be further discussions with the Race Comm-ittee to try to come to an agreement.

In the meantime, traffic regulation orders - giving the council the legal right to press ahead with changes when agreed with York Racecourse - are likely to be pushed through.

Bill Woolley, the council's director of city strategy, said today: "This is their response to the consultation process. The racecourse, at the time, made its position clear. It does not think the plan will be needed on all days."

Updated: 10:45 Wednesday, February 01, 2006