YORK should follow the German's approach to development according to a former culture boss who is calling for "radical" changes in the city including the introduction of a tram system and shared heat networks.

Former Liberal Democrat councillor Christian Vassie, who is now standing as an independent candidate, believes York should learn from best practice in other cities regarding the development of brownfield sites such as York Central.

He is specifically calling for City of York Council to follow the example of Heidelberg in Germany, where the local authority has formed a consortium with a regional bank and property firm to drive development themselves.

Mr Vassie, who was a councillor for Wheldrake from 2003 until 2011, and was responsible for leisure and culture from 2007 to 2009, said: "They have succeeded because they have taken a fundamentally different approach to that taken in York.

"The city council should create a partnership with a large housing association, of which there are many across the country, and a bank or other major investor and buy the site.

"That way, instead of hoping that something might be built and hoping that a developer might be interested in creating a exemplar development built around high quality public transport rather than the car, the council could define the development."

Mr Vassie said the Heidelberg consortium has bought around 50 hectares of old railway yards to create a scheme including homes, offices, schools, and shops, with very home sold in the Bahnstadt development generating an investment return for the German council.

He believes Heidelberg's approach would enable City of York Council to meet social housing needs, as well as giving the authority control on creating a "new York."

Mr Vassie, who is now standing as an independent candidate for Holgate ward, said: "We need a plan that ensures that we build new social housing and mechanisms that enable York’s young people to get a foot on the housing ladder in their home city. The current approach is failing the next generation.

"Combined with a tram system and a district heating network we could be creating a new York, built on a similar scale to the historic city instead of being built around the needs of cars.

"Commercial interests will never show the forward-thinking vision that this city needs.

"It is time that city showed more confidence in itself and it is past time that the council shows decisive leadership and a coherent plan to create thousands of new homes and jobs instead of hoping that someone else will step in.

"You don’t create the future by simply closing bridges to cars, you create the future by advancing a coherent long-term plan."