COUNCILLORS are being urged to back York's controversial Derwenthorpe scheme, despite almost 500 objections from local residents.

A special meeting of City of York Council's planning committee will consider the Joseph Rowntree Foundation's proposals for a 540-home model village on York's eastern outskirts on January 31.

A report to committee members by development control officer Hannah Blackburn recommends approval, subject to a series of conditions including local highway improvements to deal with extra traffic and measures to minimise noise, vibration and dust during the project.

She says that local residents had highlighted anecdotal evidence that cattle carcases, which might have died from anthrax, had been buried on the site. One resident claiming to have identified records that there was at least one carcase burial mound in the area.

But the Department for Environment Food And Rural Affairs had said there were no recorded burial pits on the site and a consultant in communicable diseases at York Hospital had confirmed there was no danger of anthrax contamination from a burial site, as the disease is only transmitted from contaminated wool spores and not from the carcase itself.

However, as a precautionary measure she suggested that the Health and Safety Executive should be contacted within two hours of the discovery of any remains.

She said officers did not consider the site to be within York's Green Belt, but even if it was thought to be within the Green Belt, "very special circumstances" existed to justify the granting of the application. The development would not compromise the purpose of the Green Belt. The site would contribute towards the city's housing supply and demand, including much-needed family homes, and there were sustainable design principles.

The report said that 478 objections had been received to the proposal. These included claims that development would cause unacceptable increases in traffic, noise, pollution and road safety risk in local roads. Residents claimed there was already traffic chaos with morning and evening school runs.

There were also concerns that there would be a severe loss of amenity in terms of peace and quiet for local residents, and loss of meadow land which was beneficial to the health and happiness of people in the area.

Petitions have been received from residents of Fifth Avenue, Lang Avenue and Ingleborough Avenue and objections from Meadlands Residents Association, Osbaldwick Parish Council and Temple Avenue Area Residents Association, which was seeking compensation for households affected by the proposals.

The report reminds members that even if they are minded to approve the scheme, it will have to be referred to the Secretary of State, who could call it in and order a public inquiry.

Updated: 08:37 Friday, January 21, 2005