YORK thrives on diversity. What brings people flocking to the city is the history and heritage, of course - but also the shopping, and the great pubs, bars and restaurants.

A vibrant city centre with a good balance of shops and places to eat is a vital part of this mix.

But in recent years, according to the Guildhall Planning Panel, a voluntary group which scrutinises planning applications in the city centre, that balance has begun to slip.

Too many former shops are being converted into bars or restaurants.

There’s a real danger with this. When it comes to shops, York’s high street has always been different to most cities. Yes, we have the big chain stores. But we have lots of quirky boutiques and independent retailers too.

Lose too many of these, and we lose one of the unique features that makes this such a popular destination for visitors.

There’s a danger for existing bars and restaurants, too. The more new places that open, the tougher the competition will be, and the harder they will find it to survive.

We don’t want buildings sitting empty when shops close.

But neither do we want to see York lose the diversity and choice that makes it so special.

Perhaps it is time for a proper analysis of the city centre, to see exactly what kind of businesses we have, whether there really has been a significant shift from shopping to eating and drinking - and if so, whether such a shift is sustainable.