A RAIL firm has seen its plans to increase security at York Station derailed by planners.

East Coast Mainline, which operates the rail route between London and Edinburgh through the city, applied to install a “public perception monitor” – a screen showing people using the building that they were under the spotlight of its network of CCTV cameras.

The company wanted to introduce a “public perception monitor”, which is designed to act as a deterrent to criminals by making them aware they are being tracked and reassure commuters the station was safe, on its outer concourse.

But the proposals have been turned down by City of York Council after its planning officers judged the monitor would harm the appearance of the listed building and “clutter” its main gateway.

The decision was made despite the monitor idea being backed by British Transport Police and East Coast’s recent success in achieving Secure Stations status for York, after the firm showed how it had taken steps to fight crime and make the area safer.

Outlining the reasons for refusing the application in a letter to East Coast Mainline, council planning officer Michael Slater, said: “The proposed projecting camera and public perception monitor would result in unduly prominent additions which would clutter the approach to the station from the outer concourse.”

He said the scheme would be “unsympathetic and visually harmful to the architecture” of the station.

In a statement to the council, Rachael Wilson, East Coast’s stations projects co-ordinator, had said public perception monitors reminded people a surveillance system was operating “in a subtle way” and would “hopefully make people think twice before carrying out a crime”.

The company, which has upgraded CCTV systems at stations along the route since taking it over as part of an overall £1.8 million package of investment, was unavailable for comment on the rejection of the monitor plans.