THE dream of an eco-village on the site of York’s former British Sugar factory has moved a step closer after civic leaders decided to fast-track the scheme.

The Boroughbridge Road site is now being promoted as one of two Yorkshire “trailblazer sites” which could share £19 million of Government cash to build the eco developments.

The Leeds City Region Partnership (LCRP), which comprises 11 representatives of areas throughout Yorkshire, decided to fast-track the British Sugar site and a development in Leeds, at its meeting last week.

Coun Andrew Waller, who represents City of York Council on the LCRP, said: “What we are taking about is substantial funding from central government.

“All four of the sites which were put forward were viable but the York North West site is particularly suitable.

“If the developer has that investment made through public finance it means that there’s more scope for improving the environmental qualities of the site and it makes it more viable in the current economic climate.” Coun Waller said he was hopeful of a start date of 2011 or 2012 for the project, but said if there was a chance it could be brought forward, it would.

He said: “This ties in with the renewable energy and power objectives of City of York Council – that’s the way we want to go.

“I also think it answers the need for housing, which hasn’t gone away. The ease of access to mortgages may have gone but the need for housing hasn’t.”

He said: “As well as preventing the need to build on greenbelt land, this will provide construction jobs at a time when we need all the jobs we can get.”

A report placed before the LCRP at their last meeting said: “The British Sugar site provides an early opportunity to commence development in a sustainable, brown field location.

“In market terms, the British Sugar site is also likely to be attractive to prospective developers and households.”

Coun Waller is now hoping for a final decision on the £19 million when LCRP next meets later this month.