York | Archive | 1999 | September | 06
From the Evening Press, first published Monday 6th Sep 1999.
Developers behind a £60 million pound scheme to extend York's Coppergate Centre have torn up their original plans and started again from scratch.
Richard Akers, of LandSecurities, at the site close to Clifford's Tower where the exstension toYork's CoppergateCentre will be built if revisedplans proveacceptable toplanners
Land Securities say they have appointed new architects to draw up a completely new design for the sensitive site between Clifford's Tower and Piccadilly.
The architects concerned, Chapman Taylor, were involved in creating the original Coppergate Centre 20 years ago.
The move follows City of York Council's decision in January to turn down a controversial planning application for the site.
The proposal, itself a revision of an original scheme, had come under fire from pressure groups and conservation organisations, primarily because of the scale of the buildings and their proximity to the historic tower. Land Securities said then it was going back to the drawing board in a bid to see if it could be set back further from the tower.
Assistant director Richard Akers says that since then, the firm has been liaising closely with the council over its selection of new architects and was now working with Chapman Taylor on completely new plans.
"Our aim is to produce a high-quality, sensitive, sustainable and environmentally-responsible scheme that will have the support of local people, the council, local amenity groups and English Heritage,"he said.
"As long-term investors in York, we are most anxious to ensure that our development must be right for the city."
He added that, although the firm's previous application had been refused, the council had made it clear it was keen to see a mixed residential / retail development on the land.
"The experience of the earlier application taught us a great deal and we have taken on board what people said to us during the consultation period and the views expressed by councillors. This has guided us and Chapman Taylor in the designs that we will be bringing forward."
He indicated that a large department store still figured in the plans for the site.
Ian Thomson, assistant director of environment and development services for City of York Council, said the new proposals would be subject to extensive consultation, and added: "We welcome the fact that a fundamental review of the proposals has taken place.
"The site is allocated in the local plan for shopping purposes and is important in the future retailing success of the city."
The chairman of York Civic Trust, Mr John Shannon, gave a cautious welcome to what he said was simply a declaration of intent.
"But the proof of the pudding will be in the eating," he said.
"The statement may allow us to hope that a completely new look has been arrived at, but we must reserve any judgement until we see it and have the opportunity of considering all the implications."
Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.
© Newsquest Media Group 2008