AN additional primary school on a major new housing development would be a "recipe for traffic disaster" according to campaigners.

The Fitzwilliam Malton Estate, which has submitted the plans for 500 homes on a 21-hectare site between Castle Howard Road and Middlecave Road in Malton, has now allocated space for an additional school.

However, the West Malton Residents’ Group , which is opposing the plans, said an additional school would bring further traffic problems.

Chairman Ian Conlan said: "This is a recipe for traffic chaos, alongside the proposal to build a village of 500 houses on to a town that already has a serious problem with traffic congestion.

“Furthermore, building a school on the new site, with a restrictive admissions policy, serves little educational value for the new residents of the proposed development."

He added: "This proposal of 500 houses, plus a school with a wide catchment area, alongside all the other new development, will lead to 67 per cent increase in housing in Malton.

“Of course, this will impact on the roads, and the number of cars on it. Why does the Estate not acknowledge this?”

Estate manager Roddy Bushell said: “The offer of the site for a school is in response to representations from Ryedale District Council and North Yorkshire County Council that provision of a school site in this location is a high priority for the community.

“This site is said to be the best location for a new school in Malton and may be the key to helping solve that problem for the towns.”