LAND Securities this afternoon denied dramatic claims that it is preparing an alternative, fallback scheme if its Coppergate Riverside proposals are thrown out.

The suggestion that it has secretly been working up a reserve proposal arose on the sixth day of the public inquiry into the company's £60 million project to redevelop land between Clifford's Tower and Piccadilly.

Leaked minutes of an English Heritage Commission meeting last July, presented to the inquiry by York Civic Trust, said that the developers were to make a presentation to the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE) "on an alternative scheme which could be worked up, irrespective of the public inquiry's outcome".

An article from an architectural journal was also presented, in which it was claimed that new architects had been commissioned to work with Riverside architects Chapman Taylor on the alternative scheme.

But Richard Akers, portfolio director of Land Securities, told the Evening Press later that the English Heritage minute was "misleading".

He said: "I would like to emphasise that we have no alternative scheme for development of the Castle-Piccadilly area of York, nor do we have any alternative plans under consideration."

He confirmed that, in line with the wishes of the Secretary of State, an informal meeting had been held with CABE to attempt to resolve areas of difference and reach mutual agreement ahead of the public inquiry.

"Such meetings are designed to provide an informal and confidential format in which matters of dispute or concern can be freely aired and, where possible, resolutions reached that will ultimately ease the burden on the public purse, through, among other things, reducing the timescale of the public inquiry."

He said that the inquiry was considering one scheme only - the Riverside proposal.

The inquiry inspector said he would not be referring in his report to the Secretary of State to what was or was not said at the confidential CABE meeting.

Meanwhile, City of York Council's director of environment and development services, Roy Templeman, has been quizzed about why an officer's criticisms of Coppergate Riverside were not put before councillors.

Mr Templeman was asked about a memo written by City of York Council's conservation architect Janine Riley, which listed strong concerns about the architecture and "weak" landscaping of the scheme, as well as the size and design.

The memo sparked an internal council investigation - which subsequently found that there had been no evidence of malpractice - after the Evening Press revealed that it had not been seen by councillors who gave the controversial scheme the go-ahead in November 2000.

Under cross-examination from CABE, Mr Templeman was asked why the memo had not been seen.

He said: "We brought forward a considerable volume of experts, and councillors were shown the team's views, rather than those of an individual.

"Some of the issues she raised were outside the area of expertise of the author."

The inquiry continues.

Updated: 16:41 Friday, January 25, 2002