FURTHER expansion at Monks Cross is not in doubt. The question is no longer will it happen, but when will it start and what form will it take?

Today we reveal the latest Monks Cross vision, for a business park on 40 acres of land north of the shops. This, say the developers, will cost £60 million and create up to 5,000 jobs.

Their plans come in addition to a proposed science park further south. Totalled up, these promise investment of more than £100 million and as many as 10,000 mainly white collar jobs.

While both schemes are still firmly pinned to the drawing board, they already represent good news for York.

We are living through volatile times. Even before September 11, Britain's economic prospects looked fragile: America's slowdown, combined with the cost of foot and mouth disease, left market analysts distinctly jittery. Now we are involved in an expensive and unpredictable war against terrorism. Few feel able to look ahead with any certainty.

By contrast, the two multi-million pound schemes, and a stubbornly buoyant property market, add up to a vote of confidence in York.

Both developments are in line with City of York Council's sensible policy to diversify employment. The broader the cross-section of jobs, the more insulated we are against the cold winds of recession.

Monks Cross offers the capacity for growth that is missing from the city centre. York's historic core has little room for new developments, and those which are proposed - notably Coppergate II - are hindered by debate over their suitability.

That does not mean anything goes at Monks Cross. These schemes prompt questions about access, about the best site for a new Park and Ride, and about encroachment on the green belt. Both planners and public will need to scrutinise the proposals carefully to ensure that any expansion is right for York.

Updated: 10:40 Wednesday, October 10, 2001