PLANS to build homes behind a Grade II-listed hotel in the centre of one of North Yorkshire's tourist magnets look set to be thrown out.

Developers face a whole raft of objections to their scheme within the conservation area at Helmsley, on the edge of the North York Moors.

Ryedale councillors are being urged to reject the proposal when the district's northern planning committee meets in Malton, next week.

Helmsley Securities has submitted an application to build 14 homes - houses and flats - on land behind the Feathers Hotel, in the town's market place.

The site is currently part garden and part car-park, and it is intended that the hotel will be reduced in size by the removal of some substantial extensions.

The idea is that the hotel would then rely on existing public car parks for its customers use.

However, the parish council is objecting to the scheme and the county council's environmental services department is also raising concerns.

Among them, they point out that in a traffic statement within the application, all parking and traffic information are November-based.

"It is a proven fact that Helmsley is subject to very considerable tourist influx during the summer months," said senior engineer Alan Martin.

Local people are objecting on grounds ranging from the planned felling of 11 of 12 mature trees to allow for access and parking.

Planning officials also say that the scheme would be contrary to the area's local planning blueprint, and would be detrimental to the visual impact of both the conservation area and the listed hotel.

In a report to the committee, they say: "The proposed layout represents over-development of the site, which is poorly related to the surrounding land."

They also voiced concerns it would create additional traffic on an unadopted access road and would also lead to safety problems at its junction with a local county road.

"Traffic generated by the proposed development would be likely to create conditions prejudicial to highway safety," says the report.