THREE new lakes are to be dug at a popular fishing site in York's green belt - despite fierce protests from locals.

Owners of the Langwith Stray fishing site in Heslington have been granted permission to dig two new lakes, each measuring 120 metres by 35, to cope with increased demand.

Permission for a third new lake was granted in 2003, but it has not yet been dug. The completion of the three new lakes would bring the total at the site to five.

Members of City of York Council's planning and transport east area sub-committee also allowed the leisure site to add 30 new fishing platforms to its existing 60, and build a storage hut for grass cutters and machinery.

Highways officers said in a report the newly expanded fishing site would allow usage of the lakes to rise by 50 per cent.

The meeting heard that use of the fishing lakes during the week was minimal, but dozens of fishermen flocked to the lakes on Sunday match days during the fishing season, which runs from March to October.

But neighbours and Heslington Village Trust objected strongly to the proposals, saying more fishermen driving to the site would swamp the already narrow lane that leads there with too much extra traffic.

They said the road, used by heavy vehicles coming out of several farms dotted along it, was becoming increasingly congested.

Neighbour David Pearcy, who spoke at the meeting, said: "In the past two or three years there has been a huge increase in traffic - and it's very fast-moving traffic. It's just an accident waiting to happen."

But although highways officers acknowledged the newly expanded site would bring a "substantial increase" in traffic, they said they had no safety concerns about allowing the development to go ahead.

Highways development officer Simon Thompson told the meeting the larger fishing lakes would bring an extra car a minute down the road at opening and closing times on Sundays.

"We don't feel that represents such an increase in traffic," he said.

Kate Broadbank, speaking on behalf of the lake owners, said: "We do empathise with the concerns of local residents.

"However, we don't believe that the additional lakes will have an impact on traffic levels. Congestion is caused by a variety of factors, quite separate from the fishing lakes."

Updated: 12:44 Saturday, August 13, 2005