IT must be of the "highest quality" and "respect and advance" York's historical core.

So say the planning officers who have put together the final reports on the development of the city's Castle/Piccadilly site.

The revised draft planning brief and planning appraisal will come before councillors at a planning meeting next Thursday, with Guildhall officials recommending both drafts be approved.

The decision could pave the way for a new development on the city centre site - finally ending a controversy which has run for the best part of a decade.

The appraisal and draft documents, which set out the future prospects for the Castle area site, have been out to consultation for several months, with groups such as English Heritage and York Civic Trust among those making their views known.

The documents follow the failed Coppergate II shopping development, which was rejected by Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott after a planning inquiry in September 2003. A number of objectors to the latest brief have raised concerns about suggestions that the retail element of any new scheme would "take precedence over the preservation of this historic environment".

The report, written by City of York Council's principal city development officer, Derek Gauld, said: "The continued prosperity of York requires the council, through its planning policies, to direct new investment to the city centre to counter continual pressure from out-of-centre developments and other regional shopping centres."

But he writes: "Whilst this area has been identified as providing the best opportunity to deliver much-needed retail space for the future, it is stressed that development must be of the highest quality and respect and enhance the setting of the existing buildings with in the central historic core conservation area."

The brief also makes note of the former Reynard's Garage which, the brief says, has potential for inclusion as a "mixed use development on Castle Piccadilly".

The site is one of four on the shortlist as a possible new home for the city's Arc Light homeless centre.

Updated: 10:07 Thursday, March 16, 2006