ALMOST 2,400 objections have already been made to plans for 500 homes on land next to a York nature reserve.

More than 2,240 people had used the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust’s website by 9.40am today to ask City of York Council to refuse the outline planning application for Moor Lane, adjacent to Askham Bog.

The trust said it had already collected another 150 objections to the scheme by Barwood Strategic Land LLP for the reserve, which naturalist and TV broadcaster Sir David Attenborough has described as ‘irreplaceable.’

Moor Lane resident Di Leadley said in her objection letter: “This site is a SSSI and should be protected in perpetuity. As I look across the flooded fields today, I note any developer would need to drain them and that would be catastrophic for the bog.

“Alongside this of course, any chemicals from garden use would run into the water and would destroy the plants and animals in the bog.”

Another objector, Steve Parrott, said: “People feel sick to the stomach about this proposal and the blatant disregard for the local environment.”

Many also protested about the plans on the The Press website. One wrote: “This development is indefensible. It will have too much impact on Askham Bog and must be resisted at all costs.”

A second said York needed more housing but there were many brownfield sites which should be built on first, while another claimed local roads couldn’t cope with existing traffic.

Some raised concerns about the timing of the application, just before Christmas, suggesting it might have been intended to reduce the number of objections. 

The trust has said objections can be made by going to its website www.ywt.org.uk.

The planning application can be found by going to https://planningaccess.york.gov.uk/online-applications/applicationDetails.do?activeTab=dates&keyVal=PIN88TSJ0B800

City of York Council said today that people would have until the end of January or early February to lodge objections, and not January 9 as suggested on its planning portal.

A spokeswoman said the date had gone on its website automatically, but the authority was going to extend the deadline to take account of the festive holiday period.

The applicant was unavailable for comment today but its planning consultants have claimed the scheme will not impact adversely on the bog and will help meet York’s housing needs.