THE Coppergate Riverside scheme would create an estimated 880 jobs for York, the public inquiry into the project was told.

Without it, York city centre would simply continue to decline, said John Steel QC, counsel for City of York Council.

He was giving the authority's closing submissions as the long inquiry into Land Securities' £60 million proposals to redevelop land between Clifford's Tower and Piccadilly finally draws towards an end.

Mr Steel said the scheme would directly create an estimated 800 permanent jobs, and a further 80 would be indirectly created.

And the city centre's vitality, viability and competitiveness would be substantially enhanced by the scheme.

But if the development did not go ahead, he said, there would be a continued leakage of expenditure away from York and its catchment area to other major towns and cities further away, and also a greater growth in out-of-centre retailing.

He said the city centre's market share had declined from 60 per cent in 1999 to 55 per cent last year.

He spoke of the dangers of a downturn in the notoriously unpredictable and fickle property market, which had previously delayed redevelopment of the site.

"This is why it is important to seize an opportunity for regeneration wherever and whenever possible. It may be lost for a generation." Mr Steel said the Secretary of State had identified a number of matters on which he wished to be informed, and these concentrated on architectural and design issues.

"It is therefore to be assumed that on the information before him at the time, he was prima facie satisfied with other matters concerning the proposed development," he said.

If there were any doubts over the architecture and design, they must be weighed in the balance against the factors in favour including the need for the scheme and the benefits, he said.

The scheme was long overdue, "indeed urgently required," and fully in accordance with government, regional and local plan policy.

Mr Steel said there was no other city centre site available that was suitable or available and viable for retail use which could meet the need for space for national multiples.

The inquiry was continuing today.

Updated: 11:41 Friday, August 02, 2002