The battle to save Burton Croft was lost. But the fight to save other important York landmarks is just beginning, as CHRIS TITLEY reports.

THANKS to the myopia of certain local councillors and the intransigence of a national developer, Burton Croft will be bulldozed.

The former home of one of modern York's fathers, John Bowes Morrell, will be replaced by Barratt flats. A spirited campaign failed to save Alderman Morrell's Victorian mansion for the city he did so much to shape.

This raised a question about much of the city's heritage. While the likes of the Minster, the Bar Walls and Clifford's Tower are safeguarded through listing and other statutory instruments, what of the rest of our city?

There are many buildings and other structures in York which have no obvious national importance, but which are hugely significant to their neighbourhood and the city at large. At a time when our city is besieged by voracious property developers, what can be done to protect them?

As things stand, the short answer is not a lot. If Burton Croft, associated with a man twice York's Lord Mayor, who created the Castle Museum, co-founded the university and set up a trust to conserve the city's architectural legacy, can be demolished, nothing is safe.

But plans are well under way to create a "Local List" of places that York should shield from the bulldozers.

Evening Press readers got the ball rolling earlier this year with their nominations.

Over the summer, the York Open Planning Forum has been compiling a preliminary Local List. About 50 buildings or structures which people regard as important in their local environment have been collected.

Some nominations are illustrated here, and other examples range from a dovecote complete with nesting boxes in an old barn at Askham Richard, a community hall at Nether Poppleton and the butchers' shop at Bishopthorpe.

"The butchers' shop is especially interesting because while it is thoroughly up to date and modern now, it still retains among its ancillary buildings evidence of the way the business was carried on in the days before supermarkets," says forum chair Alison Sinclair. "This is a rare survival and makes it a valuable part of village history."

Selection criteria for the Local List have been drawn up, as has a set of draft policies for the protection of the selected buildings.

The forum has passed this to the city council for inclusion in a progress report on the Local List. That goes before the planning advisory panel later today.

It is hoped that a pledge to keep up a Local List for York will be included in the draft Local Plan.

Meanwhile, the Government has published a report on its widespread consultation on how to better protect the historic environment.

This acknowledges that 44 per cent of local authorities maintain such lists. It recognises that where an authority has a Local Plan which includes policies for protecting locally listed buildings, the effect is to give extra weight to arguments in the planning process for their retention.

Consideration is also being given to whether or not there should be a mechanism for stopping demolition of locally listed buildings without consent.

This all comes too late for Burton Croft. But the Local List may help to save other valued York buildings.

The Railway Institute, Queen Street

York Railway Institute, built in 1889 "to convey information and spread education on a variety of subjects". From the beginning, it has offered educational facilities for railway employees and has fulfilled a social and welfare function by providing accommodation for a wide range of recreational activities, associations and clubs. Included on the Local List because of its unbroken connection with the railway history of York and for its important contribution to the education and well-being of the railway workforce and the wider public in York. Almost contemporary with the building of the present York railway station, it forms an important part of the setting of this grade II* listed building.

Bowls Pavilion, Clarence Gardens, Clarence Street

Opened in 1913, and probably designed by the city engineer. Included in the Local List because it has been a valued and useful amenity in Clarence Gardens for many years; and because it forms an attractive and appropriate focal point in the gardens, characteristic of its time.

Yearsley Baths, Haxby Road

Swimming baths, built by Rowntree Cocoa Works and given to the city of York in 1908. Included in the Local List because it is a much used community asset, valued as part of York's heritage and prized by many people as a gift of Rowntree's.

The Banana Warehouse, Piccadilly

Refrigerated fruit warehouse. Built around 1930 as storage for fruit imported to the city by wholesalers. Included on the list because it is a reminder of the former industrial and commercial function of the River Foss; as the most recognisable art deco building in the city, it makes a colourful contribution to the Piccadilly street scene. It is one of few inter-war buildings in York and represents the 20th century development of the street.

Drinking trough, Bishopgate Street, Clementhorpe

At the foot of Cherry Hill, a drinking trough erected in 1905. The inscription reads: "In memory of Henry Richardson of Cherry Hill, York, 1813-1895". Henry Richardson was the proprietor of a tannery on Cherry Hill in the latter half of the 19th century, and was a co-founder of the York branch of the RSPCA in 1864. In respect of this, the inscription on the reverse of the trough reads: "A righteous man regarded the life of his beast". Included as a memorial to a respected pillar of the local community.

Haxby Memorial Hall, The Village, Haxby

Village school and schoolmaster's house. Built in 1876, it served as the village school until 1954 when it was replaced by the Ralph Butterfield school. At this time, it became the village hall and was renamed Haxby Memorial Hall as a memorial to the dead of two world wars. It is included in the Local List because it is a tangible link with the Victorian past of the village, and for its designation as a memorial to those from Haxby lost in two wars. Also because its architectural style, immediately recognisable as a Victorian village school, makes an important contribution to the variety of the streetscape of the village; and because it is fondly regarded by many older residents as the place where they went to school.

2 St Olave's Road, Clifton

Private residence, originally known as Low Royd. Built around 1886 for Mr H M Platnauer, Keeper of the Yorkshire Museum, and probably designed by James Demaine, older partner in the architectural firm of Demaine and Brierley. In 1905, a new wing, designed by Walter Brierley, was added to the original house. Included because it is the work of two highly regarded local architects, of whom Brierley is nationally recognised; because the 1905 wing retains exceptionally fine fixtures and fittings, designed by Brierley; because of the contribution made by the house to the streetscape of St Olave's Road; and because of its connection with a local personality who was prominent in the late Victorian intellectual and cultural life of the city.

The Golden Ball, 2 Cromwell Road, Bishophill

Pub on the corner of Cromwell Road and Victor Street. Built about 1860 but extensively refurbished by John Smith's Tadcaster Brewery in 1929. Included because it is a valued community resource and because of its social interest as a rare example of an almost intact inter-war pub refurbishment scheme. It is one of three York pubs on the CAMRA (Campaign for Real Ale) National Inventory.

:: How to nominate something for the Local List

Compile a description of the building or structure including these details:

- its name

- the type of building or structure (for example, house, hall, bridge, water trough)

- location (please include parish or ward if known)

- date of construction, (if known, or approximation)

- reason for nomination

- nominee name and contact details.

Send this to Dr R Suttill, 29 Seventh Avenue, Heworth, York YO31 0TZ; or email suggestions to rsuttill@ukgateway.net

Alternatively, attend the next York Open Planning Forum, on Tuesday, October 26, from 7pm, in the Community Centre at St Aelred's Church, Tang Hall, at the corner of Melrosegate and Fifth Avenue. The meeting will consider the selection criteria and the draft policies for protection of buildings as well as looking at nominations received so far.

Updated: 09:15 Wednesday, October 06, 2004