Labour attacked in sell-off row over city centre parking site

Concerned locals claim it would be a disaster for the city.

The multi-million-pound deal to sell off one the Union Terrace site could create more than 100 jobs and provide new facilities for students and the public.

The council wants to sell the coach and car park to York St John University, which plans to expand its existing campus across the road.

Council leader James Alexander has backed the scheme, which he says will commit at least £2m to the council’s Reinvigorate York agenda to revitalise the city centre and install “pay on exit” car parking in its car parks. But traders in nearby Gillygate are worried the plans would deprive them of much needed passing tourist trade.

The Liberal Democrats claim Labour were not planning to publish a report on the proposals until just before the Cabinet meeting.

The sale of the car and coach park is due to be considered by Cabinet on July 19, but the Liberal Democrats say Coun Alexander is planning to table the report days after the rest of the agenda had been published, claiming the item was an urgent decision.

Liberal Democrat group leader Coun Carol Runciman attacked the move, saying: “I cannot see how Coun Alexander thinks he can get away with publishing the report on Union Terrace after the rest of the agenda.

“It gives people affected by the decision less time to read what is being proposed and less time to make representations based on the report.

“Coun Alexander admitted his decision was rushed and this really shows that. He is so keen to meet the timescales given to him by York St John that he has completely forgotten about the people he is supposed to represent. The sale of Union Terrace car and coach park will affect the lives and businesses of a large number of local people. To attempt to rush the decision through in this way is frankly unacceptable.”

York city centre businesswoman Anne Braithwaite said: “I am co-ordinating the petition and poster campaign across the city centre in protest against City of York Council’s plan to sell Union Terrace car and coach ark to St John’s University.

“Residents cannot fail to have noticed the Save Our Coach Park signs plastered across the city, from Bootham and Gillygate through to Goodramgate and Colliergate.

“We have been overwhelmed by the positive response to the petition; people are desperate to do something, to be involved. What began as a couple of Gillygate shops with posters has become a city-wide campaign involving hundreds of diverse businesses – shops, hotels, restaurants, pubs, charities, tour operators and guides, buskers and entertainers, residents associations, right through to the Minster’s own retail outlets – all collecting signatures on petitions.”

She added: “People have a myriad of different concerns – from the obvious car and coach parking issues, retail concerns about the loss of revenue and footfall, fans of the Minster Men at the lack of parking for football, tourism concerns about the disappearance of coach tours and worries from users about the demise of social clubs along Clarence Street if there is nowhere to park.

“This affects a whole community in ways no-one appears to have considered. In less than a week, we have a petition with signatures running into thousands.

“The initial response when people became aware of the proposal was that this would get laughed out of the council chamber, and was not to be taken seriously. Once we became aware of the time scale and the fact that there was to be no consultation, just a vote by the Labour Council Cabinet, this reaction quickly became shock and anger.”

Coun Alexander was not available for comment.