THE LEADER of Ryedale Council, Keith Knaggs, whose motion scuppered the sports centre plan, urged this week: "Take the blinkers off, abandon the obsession with one scheme, and move forward with a range of projects designed to help all Ryedale."

Coun Knaggs added in a statement: "Having spent so much of our time in the past decade talking about Malton School, we really must take the blinkers off."

He said the council should instead tackle what he described as the affordable housing gap' - between the 292 houses a year needed, and the "absolute maximum" under current council policy.

"Sports facilities are something you want, but affordable housing is something you need. But we've given ourselves the financial elbow-room to do other things. I hope to bring forward quickly council support for the all-weather pitch at Malton School, plus a contribution to changing rooms. That is exactly the kind of smaller, deliverable project bringing in 50 per cent of the funds from elsewhere, that we should be seeking."

Coun Knaggs added: "There are negative signs - some councillors clearly did not accept a democratic decision."

"The moment you start to think afresh you realise there are other ways of doing things. My original hope had been to get proposals for a modular, factory-built structure, much cheaper and with the eco-aspects designed in from the start."