Key figures team up in bid to boost historic York’s economy

York Council yesterday unveiled a wide-ranging partnership approach which will involve both the public and private sector and is aimed at bringing new business into the heart of the historic city.

The City Team York (CTY) initiative will look to bring forward major investment in key sites such as York Central, one of the nation’s largest brownfield locations, as well as diversifying the use of the city centre and its public spaces.

The partnership will build on principles outlined by celebrity shopping guru Mary Portas, who has provided the Government with 28 recommendations to rejuvenate the UK’s high streets.

The new venture comes in the wake of fears that the city centre’s retail sector will falter without a clear strategy to attract new business.

The Yorkshire Post revealed last month that senior politicians had acknowledged the city is facing a watershed as a host of wide-ranging issues converge to create a melting pot of uncertainty.

Conflicts between city centre trade and out-of-town retail developments have reached a head, while the council’s decision to withdraw a long-term planning blueprint, the Local Development Framework, raised speculation there is no clearly defined approach for attracting enterprise.

But council leader James Alexander, who is the CTY’s chairman, claimed every effort is being made to ensure that York is able to fend off competition from its rivals.

He said: “York is one of the fastest growing economies in the North, but there is no room for complacency if we are to maintain that momentum. We face new financial and market challenges and changes in the way customers see and use our city centre, and we need to find innovative solutions to meet these demands.

“The City Team York is a true partnership approach to ensuring other uses for our city centre are explored and new opportunities are exploited, so that York’s city centre can grow and thrive.”

The new partnerships membership includes representatives from businesses such as the Dean Court Hotel, HSBC and Browns as well as Visit York’s chief executive, Gillian Cruddas, and York Minster’s chamberlain, Dr Richard Shephard.

They have identified key aims to bringing both new business and visitors to the city centre. There is a strong focus on attracting more business-related tourism to build on York’s already vital visitor economy, which brings in £443m to the local economy each year and supports 23,000 jobs. Moves are being undertaken to build on the city’s successful science and creative sector and employ a digital strategy to encourage technology-based projects such as the free city centre wi-fi access.

Efforts will be made as well to link the city centre to more peripheral areas such as the historic Micklegate, wile there will be a particular focus on supporting small businesses and local companies.

Frank Wood, who owns Braithwaite Jewellers, has been appointed as the partnership’s deputy chairman which he claimed has a “huge potential” for developing the city.

He added: “It is a forum where ideas and concerns can be considered by a cross section of the city representatives to encourage and nurture the infrastructure for York - to maintain its position as one of the finest cities for investment and business opportunities.”

City centre traders have claimed their business will suffer with the arrival of an out-of-town shopping centre at Monks Cross.

The council’s cabinet member for planning and sustainability, Coun Dave Merrett, has already warned that while turnover in the city centre is “holding its own”, it is facing increasing competition from other towns and cities in the region.

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