PLANS to fence of public land on the Ouse riverbank for a private marina have been withdrawn after a public outcry.

Campaigners are celebrating after the planning application to put 14 new boat moorings on a popular area of riverbank near Millennium Bridge has been withdrawn.

The application was first submitted in early September but prompted anger from local people who did not want to see the council let public land be lost.

On Sunday, October 19 a protest against the plan on attracted more than 100 local people.

City of York Council had already reversed an earlier announcement that it intended to dispose of the public open space for the exclusive use of members of the York Motor Yacht Club.

The Green councillor for Fishergate ward Cllr Andy D'Agorne said: “This is a victory for people power, very much supported by The Press in alerting residents on both sides of the river to the plan.

"Without this, the council would have quietly handed over public land to a private club and created a blot on the views from Millennium Bridge and the South Bank side of the river.”

Cllr D’Agorne said he still wants more information on the council property services department about the terms of the proposed deal and why it got so far through the process without any local consultation or involvement of ward councillors in the area.