PLANS to build a £1 million new bus station on the site of a former caf near Stockton-on-the-Forest appear to have been dashed after council officers recommended the scheme be refused.

City of York councillors will be told Yorkshire Coastliner's scheme to build the station, and Park&Ride site, at the vacant Hazelbush Caf on the A64 is inappropriate for the green belt and would generate too much traffic.

The Malton-based company, owned by Transdev, says its Railway Street home is too small for its 63 staff, 21 buses and service expansion aspirations.

In the spring, the company will bring in seven new double-decker buses, at a cost of £1.25 million, and wants to run services between York, Leeds and the East Coast every 15 minutes.

But a report to a council planning meeting tomorrow will reveal the application conflicts with green belt priorities and the aim to "safeguard the countryside from further encroachment and unrestricted sprawl" along that stretch of the A64.

The report, written by development control officer Darren Hendley, shows that there are concerns about the proximity of residential properties to the development.

He writes: "The development would be likely to generate traffic on to the A64 that would be incompatible with its use as a trunk road, and with the safety of the traffic on the road itself.

"The development would not comply with green belt policy as proposed, but rather would constitute an inappropriate form of development and cause further harm to the openness and conflict with the purposes of the green belt."

Last month it was revealed how Ryedale District Council had objected to the plan, arguing that it would be detrimental to highway safety and the free flow of traffic on the A64.

The report reveals that North Yorkshire Police also have concerns, stating the operation of a sub-regional Park&Ride site and the extra numbers of trips on the A64 could cause difficulty and accidents.

Stockton-on-the-Forest Parish Council, Flaxton Parish Council and the Highways Agency are also among influential bodies to indicate their opposition to the development.

Coun Howard Keal, who chairs Ryedale District Council's planning committee, said he "agreed entirely" with the York officers' fears.

He said: "We have got major concerns about the application, in view of the extreme danger posed to traffic to and from the proposed depot.

"That section of the A64 is a very dangerous piece of road at the best of times, and a development of this type could only make things worse.

"At the same time, we would very much like to see further development on the company's existing Malton site, and we will do everything possible to assist Coastliner in its aspirations for improving services.

"Any potential increase in services has clear potential benefits for passengers and the company, but we do feel that it has to be on the right site - and Hazelbush isn't it."

Updated: 15:27 Wednesday, February 08, 2006