SWEEPING new plans for the Castle car park and the streets that surround it could give some hope to Clifford’s Tower campaigners, a councillor has said.

On Monday the city council revealed its latest vision for major redevelopment in an area it calls “Castle Gateway” - covering Clifford’s Tower, the Eye of York, Coppergate, Piccadilly, and the Foss Basin.

A key part of the plan would see Castle car park disappear, to be replaced by a new commercial development and new public space.

Now Cllr Denise Craghill, whose Guildhall ward covers that area, says the proposals could give hope to people who want to stop English Heritage building a new visitor centre into the side of the Clifford’s Tower motte.

Cllr Craghill said: “While there are a great many details about the proposals in the re-named ‘Castle Gateway’ area that I will be seeking assurance on, I think it is generally very positive that this is moving forwards.

“At the same time it seems crazy for the council and English Heritage to push ahead with a controversial visitor centre intruding into the side of the historic mound just at the point when progress with the ‘Castle Gateway’ at last opens up the possibility of siting a better designed visitor centre away from the mound, as part of the development of the car park area.”

York Press:

Cllr Craghill said she backed the proposals to remove the car park - which she called “wholly inappropriate” for the setting of a historic monument - but wanted to see more details about proposed commercial building along the western bank of the Foss on the site of the car park, as it was the design and massing of a planned building on the site that lead to the demise of the earlier proposals for “Coppergate II”.

Cllr Craghill added: “No doubt these sort of details will be addressed as the masterplan develops but it would be a great shame if English Heritage, who are naturally named in the proposals as a key delivery partner, ploughs on with the current visitor centre when far better options are now potentially much closer.

"I do hope that the council and English Heritage will agree to withdraw the proposals for the land sale.”