In order to mask the damage they have done, the restrictions on ‘what can go where’ have been relaxed and even ‘Primary’ shopping streets like Coney Street now have voids (empty units) and charity shops and chain-restaurants like “Bill’s” appearing. It’s a sad state of affairs, even if we are bouyant compared to Castleford and Wakefield (similarly crippled by out-of-town White Rose Retail Park).

I can’t blame football fanatics (after all… they are fanatics) but I place the blame firmly on the Labour and Lib Dem Councillors who backed out-of-town retail development… against all national, regional, and local planning guidence.

Incidentally, Council’s highways Officers also predicted the retail and sporting facilities would cause chaos on the Northern Ring Road. Something else to look forward to then…

The Piccadilly site was bigger than John Lewis’ store at Monk’s Cross, so JLP speaks with forked tongue, as it did to the Government’s Select Committee, saying it adhered to the principle of “city-centre-first” retail. JLP is literally unprincipled.

I don’t think York needs to worry about dying retail wise. I’m not really keen on your designer shopping outlet as I found the McArthur Glen Outlet in Ashford Kent was better and the bargains better value.

My only criticisms of York are:

For clothes shops and most shops I think you beat Canterbury hands down. For museums and simply for your churches and claim to fame as the C of E heartland, I think it should be given to York versus Canterbury. But Department store wise, I found your Fenwicks small as was Debenhams. If there is one let down in York City Centre it’s the lack of a reasonably large department store and I can’t help think that the Copperfield Centre could be more sympathetically redeveloped to blend in with the surrounding architecture and at the same time provide York with a large city centre department store.

I did visit Monk’s Cross shopping centre where JL are going and think they are making a big mistake to go there. But I don’t think JL not coming to the city centre will be the end for York City Centre.

The only other thing I felt you lacked as a city the diversity that Canterbury has was on restaurant’s. Though Betty’s is a great little tea shop.

I wish I felt qualified to comment on the latest chapter in this saga, as mentioned a day or two ago in the York Press: http://www.yorkpress.co.uk/news/9732689.York_planning_vision_set_to_be_withdrawn_following_Monks_Cross_decision/

This seems to be an important and rather worrying development, though I don’t have the necessary knowledge and understanding of the LDF/core strategy and how important it really is. And unfortunately most people commenting seem to have their own axes to grind, or are toeing a party line. All I know is that I’ve heard people mentioning the Local Development Framework for years on end, and I get the impression that various groups who perhaps don’t get paid (eg heritage bodies, etc) have been involved (as well as it apparently taking up a lot of the paid council officers’ time). I imagine they’re not happy …

Anyone have an objective overview on the ‘Planning vision withdrawn’ story?