PLANS for two new colleges at the University of York will go ahead - despite residents’ fears over parking problems.

The scheme will provide accommodation for 1,480 students on campus.

But Alan Richards, a Badger Hill resident speaking at a council meeting, said the number of university staff and students parking on streets in the estate is already causing problems.

He said: “Badger Hill is a small estate. It’s been affected a lot over the years by the university expansion. Things have definitely got worse over the last couple of years. More and more cars are being parked, a number are abandoned.

“One tutor’s car was parked on a junction for five weeks last year. Every car had to manoeuvre round onto the wrong side of the road. I’m not particularly optimistic about 2019 when you add 1,400 more undergraduates on campus and have staff coming in with extra cars.”

He said he believes that staff and students do not park in the university car parks because they have to pay.

Cllr Keith Aspden said residents in Heslington Village also have concerns. He said they feel the development is too close to their neighbourhood and people have concerns about noise, vandalism and anti-social behaviour as well as parking.

Cllr Michael Pavlovic called for extra conditions to lessen the impact of the development on residents.

He said: “I would look at res parking the whole of Badger Hill and the whole of Newland Park.” The university currently pays for the existing residents’ parking scheme in the area.

But Stephen Talboys, from the University of York, said: “We take action against anyone who causes a nuisance. We take our responsibilities very seriously.”

He added that if the development did not go ahead, the students would live in the city in houses in multiple occupation and cause a “much more negative impact on the local community in our view”.

The committee heard its decision would be limited by the Secretary of State’s decision to grant outline permission for the university’s expansion in 2006.