CAMPAIGNERS who wanted to protect an historic battleground from being developed for housing have finally been beaten.
The latest fight over the future of the Germany Beck site, at Fulford on the edge of York, believed to be the site of a battle of 1066, has ended at London's Appeal Court.
Lord Justice Richards refused to allow the long-running dispute to continue despite claims that a plan for more than 650 homes would threaten the battleground as well as a colony of rare bats and that the site could be subject to possible flooding.
He said measures were being taken to protect the bats and a full flood plan survey had been carried out.
He dismissed applications by Fulford Parish Council and local historian, Charles Jones, for permission to appeal against earlier High Court dismissal of their moves to block use of the site for residential development.
His decision eases the way for developers Persimmon Homes to build 655 homes on the 34-hectare site.
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