A COMMUNITY forum to discuss a proposed model village on York's outskirts takes place this weekend, despite further delays for the scheme.

The forum is being held by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (JRF) and City of York Council at Derwent Junior School on Saturday.

The foundation says the 540-home village, to be called Derwenthorpe, will offer energy efficient homes, less dependency on private cars, well-managed park land and play areas for young people.

It has invited a range of people including church leaders, residents associations, local business owners, police officers, teachers and healthcare staff to attend the forum.

Spokeswoman Jacquie Dale said: "Derwenthorpe will be an inclusive and sustainable community, and will become a beacon for the whole of the UK.

"As part of developing our ambitions for Derwenthorpe, we are committed to engaging organisations and groups from York and residents from the adjoining area.

"We are keen to establish a community forum, which will provide an opportunity for groups and individuals to feed in their views and perspectives."

The foundation's proposals have come under sustained attack from Osbaldwick residents, who claim it will cause traffic problems and result in a loss of green space.

A campaign group called the Friends of Osbaldwick Meadows is seeking to block the scheme by getting the area registered as a village green. A public inquiry into their proposals by was due to take place earlier this week, but was then postponed.

Don Spaven, of the Friends, claimed today that the forum was merely paying lip service to resident's wishes.

"I think it is unlikely that they'll be able to satisfy the residents' requirements," he said.

"They've been very transient in their dealings with us over the past eight years, since this development was proposed.

"They asked us to vote on whether we wanted a new access road for Derwenthorpe. We all said that we did but it wasn't taken on board.

"It seems that all they really want to do is pay lip service to local people's views."

He said the Friends would decide whether to attend the forum after holding their own meeting on Saturday morning.

The forum will be held between 10am and 2pm and anyone interested is invited to attend.