Campaign groups drive council leader into car park U-turn

York City Council leader James Alexander made the announcement after meeting traders opposed to the proposal to sell off the Union Terrace site to York St John University, which plans to expand its campus.

Councillor Alexander, who had previously called for a decision to be made at a cabinet meeting on August 4, said: “I met with Gillygate traders and tour operators together with fellow cabinet members and we listened to their concerns. It was a very helpful discussion where both the cabinet and those opposed to the sale were able to understand each others’ perspectives on the proposal.

“I have discussed the situation with York St John and the university has agreed with me that consultation is both important and necessary. The council and York St John want to listen to the public’s views. The cabinet will therefore agree that the council conducts a full consultation before it takes a final decision on the sale.”

A spokesman for the city’s Labour group said the consultation would take place over a six-week period following the cabinet meeting at the Guild Hall on August 4. The meeting immediately follows an extraordinary council meeting, which has been called by York’s Liberal Democrat Group to debate a motion to withdraw from the proposed sale.

Liberal Democrat group leader Carol Runciman said a six-week consultation was not enough. “That’s not sufficient in any way. It’s got to be withdrawn. It’s got to start again and be looked at properly. The consultation will also be taking place over the summer when people are away on holiday, which is not a good time.”

Campaigners who strongly oppose the development – which they say would deprive them of much needed passing tourist trade – also attacked the move.

Anne Braithwaite, from Campaign to Save Union Terrace, said: “I’m happy that they have decided to put it forward to consultation but six weeks isn’t long enough. We are just hoping that this is a two-way process as we don’t feel it has been so far. James Alexander did meet with us but at the time he didn’t appear to even acknowledge that we had an opinion. He just talked over everybody and reiterated that the university was the only way for York to be successful. From our point of view we can have both – the university just needs to choose an alternative site.”

Hundreds of campaigners are planning to stage a demonstration in St Helen’s Square as councillors gather for the meeting, which will see the discussion of a planning report that recommends the sale goes ahead providing alternative provision is found.

Reacting angrily to the recommendation, campaigner Matthew Greenwood, said: “Our main argument is that the alternative provisions are not satisfactory. The sites in the report, which include pick up points at Piccadilly, Monkgate and Foss Islands Road, are completely unrealistic.”

Mr Greenwood said group members would use the meeting as an opportunity to present councillors with a petition against the proposal, which has attracted over 13,000 signatures in just three weeks.

“The response is just growing all the time. We have had a huge backing over the last three weeks for the campaign. We have also sent hundreds of letters to local councillors, as well as to the university’s vice chancellor and the Archbishop of York. We are hoping that it will remind councillors just how strong the opposition is to this proposal.”

Mr Greenwood said he thought the main reason behind the proposed sale was capital gain. “They have seen the £3.2m the university is offering and not taken into account the hundreds of jobs it is going to affect and the millions of pounds in revenue for businesses that could be lost because there isn’t a suitable alternative,” he said.