CAMPAIGNERS in York protesting at the possible use of Union Terrace as Arc Light's new home say they will complain to the Local Government Ombudsman if the site is chosen.

The Claremont Terrace, Union Terrace and Portland Street Residents' Association (CUPRA) has confirmed it will seek redress from the watchdog should the car park be selected by members of City of York Council's ruling executive on Tuesday.

The association will claim "mal-administration" citing that there is a conflict of interest - accusing the council of ignoring a "mandate" to use the former Reynard's garage, in Piccadilly, in favour of using that site as a back-up in its accommodation review.

The Press reported, on Tuesday, how officers said a decision over the garage site could be "premature" given its place in the Castle Piccadilly regeneration scheme and its role as a possible back-up for providing a new customer contact centre.

That led to furious protests from CUPRA, who asked why the site was placed on the short list at all if it was not suitable.

Seven councillors will choose either the garage, or car parks at Marygate, Union Terrace and Nunnery Lane as the preferred site for Arc Light's new homeless centre.

Rob Gray, CUPRA president, said: "The council claims it has run a fair and inclusive consultation exercise. This is simply not true. Throughout the process it has produced incorrect and misleading information that we believe was designed to steer public opinion in favour of the Union Terrace site.

"It has repeatedly underestimated the level of car park usage, the number of spaces lost and the revenue that would be forfeit from the development, has underestimated the level of residential accommodation within a 200m radius of the site and failed to counter arguments that the site does not meet the policies laid out in the Local Plan.

"Now it states that Piccadilly may not be available because it wants to use the site as back up for its own £30 million HQ. We do not believe this is true. We believe it is reserving the site for sale to contribute to the funding of the £30 million HQ and it is prepared to ignore the strong public mandate in favour of the Piccadilly site and ignore the legitimate objections from CUPRA against Union Terrace car park for its own gain.

"The executive cannot vote on a short-list of sites when it has a vested interest in one site."

A council spokesman said that, pending the decision of the executive, the authority was unable to comment on the Ombudsman threat.

Updated: 10:44 Friday, April 28, 2006