TWO city centre retailers have rallied behind the beleaguered proposals to expand York's Coppergate Centre.

Nikki Reynolds, deputy manager of Marks & Spencer in the city, believes the £60 million Coppergate Riverside scheme will help York compete not just with Leeds and Meadowhall but also on the international short break market.

And Bill Stubbs, proprietor of F R Stubbs ironmongers in Fossgate, says he and at least eight other retailers in the street support the proposals, which they believe will help bring a new era of prosperity to their end of the city centre.

The retailers spoke out in the wake of strong criticism yesterday by six city centre businesses of Land Securities' proposals for shops, a department store and restaurants on land between Clifford's Tower and Piccadilly.

The critics, which included Browns department store and Barnitts Home and Garden, told the Evening Press they feared the scheme would simply shift retail business away from York's historic core.

But Nikki Reynolds said: "My personal view, as a retailer and a resident of York, is that this Coppergate scheme offers a chance to enhance the retail on offer in York. We know there are retailers that would want to open in York but cannot find sites to do so."

Mr Stubbs said he had spoken to eight other retailers in Fossgate, from MacDonalds furniture store to Long Tall Sally, and they had all been in favour of the scheme. "We feel it would bring new prosperity to the area, which has been sadly lacking," he said.

But he also felt the scheme would bring extra trade to the city centre as a whole, and that shoppers would still head to the Minster and Shambles area as well as the Coppergate end of town.