ANY rural resident seeking respite from conflict by travelling to York this weekend would have been deeply disappointed. The city resounded to the sound of 250 voices raised against the Coppergate Riverside development.

Here is another dispute between two seemingly irreconcilable forces: preservation and development. Compromises offered by the developer have not been enough to appease the heritage lobby.

Saturday's protest filled the void left by the inability of John Prescott's environment ministry to make up its mind on Coppergate Riverside. Cynics are wondering whether this is one of those awkward decisions the Government hopes to shelve until after an election.

Updated: 11:20 Monday, March 12, 2001