YORK Civic Trust is to have a new chief executive for the first time in 20 years.

Dr David Fraser, 58, of Poppleton, has been appointed to the helm of the conservation organisation after long-standing director Peter Brown announced his retirement.

“Dr Fraser is an archaeologist by training, setting up English Heritage’s regional office in York and then leading it for eight years,” said a spokesman.

“More recently, he has been in charge of the Landmark Trust’s historic estate.

“David will lead the civic trust’s programmes into the future, notably the implementation of its recent report sustaining the city beautiful, its education programmes and its sponsorship of the York Design Awards.”

Dr Fraser is due to take up his post on July 13, and there will be a two-week handover with Mr Brown, who retires at the end of July.

Trust chairman Peter Addyman said the appointment of Dr Fraser was “good news for the Trust and good news for York”.

He added: “He has formidable achievements behind him in the care of the heritage both regionally and nationally and has always been a good friend of York.

“We are all delighted that he will now be bringing his great experience and dynamism to our work.

“David knows the city and its archaeology intimately, having worked here for many years.

“He will be joining us at a time of great challenge.

“Resources for heritage are being cut while the expanding economy and population bring pressure for change.

“With David as chief executive, the civic trust will add a strong voice as custodian of York’s remarkable heritage and as steward of its bright future.”

Dr Fraser said that after a decade of working away from York, he now knew that T S Eliot was right, when he wrote: “The end of all our exploring will be to arrive where we started and know the place for the first time.”

He said: “I will be working hard to make sure that York’s wonderful history is conserved and the future development of the city matches the quality of its illustrious past.”