PLANS for a major revamp of the area outside York Minster won backing from councillors - but only just.

City of York Council's city strategy panel last night debated a proposal to put £500,000 of the authority's cash into supporting the Minster's plans for a new piazza outside the south entrance.

The Minster has submitted a bid for £10 million from the Heritage Lottery Fund for its wider restoration project, and council backing was seen as beneficial to the bid.

Panel chairman Coun Ian Gillies used his casting vote to defeat a Labour amendment, which sought to halve the council's contribution to £250,000.

Labour group leader Coun David Scott had voiced concern over what would be lost as a result of spending £500,000 on the Minster.

He said: "What we are discussing tonight is whether we should be bullied by the Heritage Lottery Fund into paying for something we would not normally have paid for - not now, anyway."

But the Liberal Democrat group and council leader, Coun Steve Galloway, said: "I do not think anyone from the city would want this to be the generation that let the Minster decline.

"We should be prepared to say, publicly and properly, that we support the Minster appeal."

The council's city strategy director, Bill Woolley, read an email from Tom Riordan, the chief executive of Yorkshire Forward, the regional development agency.

This said the agency would contribute £1 for every £4 raised by the Minster, up to a maximum of £1 million.

The motion approved included support for a full review of the city's "footstreets", which could lead to Fossgate and Goodram-gate being completely pedestrianised.