A PROMINENT furniture store in York city centre is to close in September because of "a combination of steep car parking charges and out-of-town competition".

Peter Green, 65, and his wife, June, plan to shut the doors of Greens Furniture World, the branch they opened in Piccadilly nearly ten years ago, making two women redundant.

The Greens, who will continue to operate their branches in Ousegate, Selby, and in Newgate, Malton, say that there has been a sharp downturn in trade for their stock - which is mostly factory seconds or cancelled orders - even though prices tend to be 60 per cent of normal retail cost.

Mr Green said: "I'm afraid that most furniture seeking customers in York now tend to go to the out-of-town retail parks like Monks Cross or Clifton Moor if they are looking for big-ticket items.

"There is the added problem of steep car parking charges in the city centre and access to the shop in general.

"I know that council leaders are proud that traffic levels in York are down to pre-1999 levels. Fine, but all the customers have gone too. It's a tragedy. One of the women I am making redundant has been with us for the full ten years, the other has worked for us for four years.

"But while we are doing well at the other two stores, we are losing money in York at the moment and it is something we have to do if we want to move on."

But council planning and transport chief Ann Reid said that there were as many shoppers in the city centre, using central car parks and Park & Ride facilities as ever there were.

"It's the same number of cars, but with more parked on the city's edge rather than in the centre.

"A survey carried out by the council shows that people spend more when using park and ride than when they use the city centre car parks."

She said that problems caused by out-of-town shopping centres like Monks Cross and Clifton Moor, agreed by Ryedale District Council over the past 15 years, were now "coming home to roost".

The site of the store has twice been proposed for demolition - once under the controversial "Coppergate II" shopping plans, which were rejected by the Government; and again in proposals from the building's owner, Martin Burgess, who wanted to build 14 flats there.

Meanwhile a draft planning brief for the Castle/Piccadilly area is due to come before the City of York planning committee on August 3.

Updated: 08:32 Friday, July 22, 2005