A balancing act

York’s past is also its future

ON BALANCE, York councillors were right to reject plans to create a new £150m ‘Roman Quarter’ in the ancient city that would, after a two-year archaeological dig, have included a new visitor attraction with a working title of Eboracum, plus a 10-storey development featuring 211 apartments, offices and retail space.

The reason that around seven million people were visiting York annually before the Covid lockdown, and spend upwards of £550m in the city, is because of its rich history and how it has been preserved through the ages. York’s past is also its present, and future, when it comes to tourism and the local ecomomy.

But York’s national and international appeal and allure – it remains one of the most iconic visitor destinations outside London – will quickly fade if planners, democraticallyelected city councillors, fail to take this into sufficient account when considering such matters.

And, given the worries about the size of the proposed building, its potential impact on nearby landmarks and whether it would provide genuinely affordable housing, it is preferable to go back to the drawing board, and come up with a scheme appropriate for the Rougier Street site, rather than compromising the area’s rich history.

These are difficult times for all cities – and the need for low-cost housing, and high-quality jobs, has been acute in York for many years now. But there should be no reason why the developers concerned cannot attempt to find a way of meeting these objectives, and coming up with a design, that does not detract from a site which is already in the heart of a conservation area because of its special status.