YORK'S wealth of archaeological sites could soon be easier to access, according to proposals to be considered by council chiefs.

Among the recommendations to be examined by City of York Council's leisure and heritage scrutiny board on Monday are new planning conditions that would enable the public to gain entry to sites of archaeological interest prior to a development going ahead.

In a report to the council, scrutiny officer Hugo Laing said new supplementary planning guidance would make York "the pioneering authority to look at laying down minimum standards for public access to sites".

Every year, more than four million people visit York, and most say the city's ancient heritage is their chief reason for coming.

Any move to increase the number of sites open to the public would therefore generate a great deal of sought-after tourist revenue for the city.

With the new guidance conditions, developers will have a clearer idea of what obligations they should adhere to. This, it is hoped, will minimise any confusion that might arise about what the public is entitled to look at.

"I think the principle is a fine one, but it will obviously depend on the case," said John Walker, the chief executive of the York Archaeological Trust.

"A lot of people are very interested in York's archaeology, and we should be giving them an opportunity to do a bit of time-travelling," he said.

"However, it will not always be feasible to give the public access to certain sites, as some digs are pretty tight and it could be dangerous having lots of people trampling over them," said Mr Walker.

Also included in the proposals are measures to support the excavation, maintenance and archiving of archaeological sites, through contributions from developers.

The council will consider using contributions in order to fund educational projects which would keep York's residents and visitors alike informed on any new finds concerned with York's rich heritage.

There is also the possibility of a new community archaeologist being appointed for York. The role would involve liaising between the community and relevant interested groups.

Updated: 10:11 Wednesday, September 08, 2004