HORSE riders have objected to plans to close a 900m stretch of road to the public.

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has asked North Yorkshire County Council to apply for an order to close Waithwith Road, Catterick Garrison.

If the order is granted by magistrates, it would effect-ively close the road to the public and pass it into the ownership and control of the MoD.

The British Horse Society has objected to the proposed order, saying the road is used by both riders and carriage drivers, and is the only quiet road out of Catterick Garrison.

But council officers have recommended that an application for the order should be made. The Richmondshire area committee will discuss the proposal at its meeting in West Burton village hall next Monday.

The order is part of a huge redevelopment of Catterick Garrison proposed by the MoD. It wants to build 16 accommodation blocks to house more than 1,000 soldiers off Plumer Road.

Mike Moore, the county council's corporate director of environmental services, said: "To accord with anti-terror regulations, security fences will be erected, with restricted points of access and egress and it is against this background that the MoD's request has been received.

"Having given consideration to the application and to the characteristics of the road, officers are satisfied that it is unnecessary to the public as a route, being effectively a cul-de-sac leading only to the MoD- owned road network."