A MASSIVE £11.5 million blueprint for transport at Monks Cross, York, is set for approval.

The Monks Cross Area Transport Plan incorporates 44 different schemes for the site, including cycle routes, improved junctions and new bus routes.

Its cost will be divided between City of York Council (£5.6 million), developers (£8.8 million) and the Highways Agency (£2.6 million).

The matter will go before Thursday's planning committee.

Subject to approval, developer Oakgate Ltd is also seeking planning permission at the meeting to build a major business park and a Park & Ride site on land to the south of Monks Cross.

The company has agreed in principle to pay nearly £1 million towards the transport plan.

The proposed blueprint, which includes work at Hopgrove Roundabout, is an extension of an earlier £8 million council master plan which was subject to consultation.

Proposed traffic schemes include a cycle route at Hopgrove Lane between the A1036 and Stockton Lane, a new roundabout on the A1237 Strensall Road at Earswick and two new bus services.

Peter Evely, City of York Council's head of highway regulation, said: "This is a fully comprehensive master plan for how people will travel to and from the fully-developed Monks Cross site. We're very pleased that we've finally got to this stage.

"We're also delighted that Oakgate have agreed with the methodology we've used."

Richard Wood, the leader of the Oakgate team for the Vangarde development at Monks Cross South, said: "It has been a lengthy and challenging process, but the dream of a prestigious, high-profile business park there is now getting much closer to a reality.

"We, the developers, will contribute to improvements to the transport network in the Monks Cross area.

"Already there has been overwhelming public support for a Park & Ride site on the land south of Monks Cross. This support gave a significant boost to the city council's traffic strategy and brought the exciting prospect of a 30-acre business park, creating premier employment, closer to fruition."

Also at Thursday's meeting, the planning committee has been asked to approve the planning brief for York Central's "Teardrop" site as a basis for public consultation.

The multimillion pound project was unveiled in March last year and involves the redevelopment of a 35-hectare site, beside and to the west of York railway station.

It is hoped 5,500 new jobs and 3,000 homes will be created.

If approved, the brief will go to public consultation between November 18 and January 20, 2003.

Updated: 11:35 Tuesday, October 29, 2002