Care urged over Monks Cross shopping plan (From York Press)
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Care urged over Monks Cross shopping plan
9:07am Saturday 21st January 2012 in News
By Mike Laycock, Chief reporter
AN MP has warned councillors should be “very careful” before turning down a huge investment at Monks Cross during such challenging economic times.
York Central MP Hugh Bayley has also called for an “imaginative” approach to Oakgate’s proposals to build more than 320,000 square feet of new retail space at the out-of-town shopping centre, to ensure the city centre does not lose out on business.
He suggested City of York Council might be able to impose a planning condition under which, for example, John Lewis would have to fund a free Park&Ride bus journey into the city centre for any customer spending perhaps £20 on an item.
The plans involve new John Lewis and Marks & Spencer stores being built alongside a 6,000-seater ground for York City FC and York City Knights.
Developers say the project would bring an extra £50 million a year into the city’s economy.
The MP’s comments come after sustained opposition to the proposals from some city centre traders and conservation groups, who are worried that an expansion of Monks Cross would have a devastating impact on traders and historic buildings in the centre.
Mr Bayley said that when plans for the York Designer Outlet at Fulford were unveiled in the 1990s, he had been “lukewarm” because of fears it would kill city centre, but that had not happened, and York could not now afford to stand still.
York council leader James Alexander said he welcomed and agreed with the MP’s view that earlier out of town shopping developments had not harmed the city centre, which remained one of the most resilient retail centres in the country.
“That Christmas footfall was up on both of the previous two years demonstrates this,” he said.
“Clearly many people visiting Monks Cross will be attracted to York’s historic city centre anyway, but the developer has committed to exploring ways to further incentivise customers to visit the city centre, and will work closely with the Chamber of Trade and other bodies to promote York as a whole.”
Comments(20)
Bigsharn
says...
12:16pm Sat 21 Jan 12
Dr Brian
says...
12:33pm Sat 21 Jan 12
Even AndyD
says...
12:35pm Sat 21 Jan 12
Even AndyD
says...
12:37pm Sat 21 Jan 12
Dr Brian wrote:Why will the city centre be sacrificed for John Lewis?
So Bayley wants to sacrifice the City centre to help John Lewis swell their profits!
That's like me saying; so we don't get a community asset because Adam Sinclair wants to maintain his huge profit line. Both are vacuous, incomplete and unfair.
bolero
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4:46pm Sat 21 Jan 12
speaks99
says...
5:13pm Sat 21 Jan 12
bagpuss73
says...
9:21pm Sat 21 Jan 12
Even AndyD
says...
9:19am Sun 22 Jan 12
speaks99 wrote:Well yes....
China China and Mulberry Hall :) Not sure if that was by accident or design, but nice work sir!
ISeeEverything
says...
10:27am Sun 22 Jan 12
Even AndyD wrote:You've done it again. It's the Chamber of Trade, not the Chamber of Commerce.
Same old story - everyone wants this except city centre traders. Well they wouldn't I suppose, its competition and they have a right to object. But this 'devastate the city centre' thing is such an obvious smokescreen, surely the council will ignore it? Three retail parks since the 1980s say the city centre won't be damaged by a couple more (albeit) large stores. The likes of York Chamber of Commerce (who represent a minority of centre traders) have been given way too much credence and publicity. Listen to them by all means, possibly compromise, but lets not be dictated to - there is room in the city for all.
speaks99
says...
10:59am Sun 22 Jan 12
Also there is a correlation between how a towns manage things like parking can lead to the success or failure of retail in a city. I think York needs to re address their policies on car usage rather than keep throwing money at park and rides. People want convenience, and like it or not, this equates to using cars.
speaks99
says...
11:02am Sun 22 Jan 12
Bigsharn wrote:There are already customers lined up for these units. Answers the question I would argue...
It makes me laugh this... Most larger businesses are up the creek without a paddle... I can see the majority of Monks Cross' current occupants going into administration in the near future soon anyway, so why do we need extra shopping units?
Stupidyorkpeople
says...
4:32pm Sun 22 Jan 12
I am a businessperson looking to for a new outlet - I need over 1000 sq ft , the cheapest suitable place is 100k a year with 40k rates - you have to do an awful lot of selling to recoup that ?
Stupidyorkpeople
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4:43pm Sun 22 Jan 12
Stupid ! giving John Lewis an advantage over other stores ?
meme
says...
9:23am Mon 23 Jan 12
BUT
It will go to a planning appeal and an inspector will ultimately decide if this is going to happen or not based on the strength of the evidence put before him
That will take at least 6 and more like 12 months to be heard
So all parties can huff and puff but at the end of the day an independent decision will be made and that could go either way BUT with today's economic circumstances unless the City centre retailers can prove it will harm them I suspect it will get the green light
meme
says...
9:40am Mon 23 Jan 12
BUT
It will go to a planning appeal and an inspector will ultimately decide if this is going to happen or not based on the strength of the evidence put before him
That will take at least 6 and more like 12 months to be heard
So all parties can huff and puff but at the end of the day an independent decision will be made and that could go either way BUT with today's economic circumstances unless the City centre retailers can prove it will harm them I suspect it will get the green light
speaks99
says...
10:41am Mon 23 Jan 12
meme wrote:I fear that this might be the case - look at what happened when the barbican challenged a development a few years ago. By the time the public enquiry carried out the private developers decided to spend their money in a different city.
York city council will approve this scheme
BUT
It will go to a planning appeal and an inspector will ultimately decide if this is going to happen or not based on the strength of the evidence put before him
That will take at least 6 and more like 12 months to be heard
So all parties can huff and puff but at the end of the day an independent decision will be made and that could go either way BUT with today's economic circumstances unless the City centre retailers can prove it will harm them I suspect it will get the green light
Anthony Smith
says...
6:50pm Mon 23 Jan 12
speaks99
says...
8:31am Wed 25 Jan 12
Anthony Smith wrote:What this is trying to ensure is that the money that is spent, is spent in York, not Leeds, Meadowhall, Hull etc...
Of course, in "such challenging economic times" what we all need is more retail space, because in "such challenging economic times" we all have lots of extra money to spend...
speaks99
says...
9:02am Wed 25 Jan 12
Anthony Smith wrote:What this is trying to ensure is that the money that is spent, is spent in York, not Leeds, Meadowhall, Hull etc...
Of course, in "such challenging economic times" what we all need is more retail space, because in "such challenging economic times" we all have lots of extra money to spend...
Sillybillies says...
9:26am Sat 21 Jan 12
Idiot! The sort of blackmail that will drive John Lewis and other stores away, similar policies have already killed house building leading to a housing crisis in York.