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2nd December 2003
- Land
Securities is not appealing
Well
we knew that anyway! But seriously folks, this is great news. The developer
will not be attempting to appeal against the ruling of the Public Inquiry.
It means that the citizens of York and our many supporters were right
all along. The Planning Inspectorate and the Government agreed with us
and now the developers have had to concede it too. So what next? Well,
the Council promises free and fair consultations, maybe in the New Year.
Watch this space.
31st
October 2003 - Campaign
spirits rise
English Heritage
had a ghost hunter at Clifford's Tower on Halloween. A lot of people
have died on this site in horiffic circumstances. That's why it would
be so offensive to build a shopping mall on the site, and of course,
what self respecting ghost would want to spend eternity haunting a
tacky shopping centre. |
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18th
October 2003 - Sightsonic
Festival
A lot of people
are asking, "What's the mauve coloured light on Clifford's Tower
and weird noises and flashing lights?" Well, it's a "happening"
man! Whoo! Going back to the 60s and all that.
Apparently all part of Sightsonic - York's International Festival
of Digital Art. Big it up. |
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4th October 2003 -
Council
backsliding on Coppergate already?
Only a week after new
consultations were announced by the City of York Council on the fate of
the area surrounding Clifford's Tower, there is already concern that the
Council might not keep its word. There have been suggestions that any attempt
to convert the car park to a green and open space might be disallowed from
the options discussed. This shows, again, a lack of democracy at the heart
of the City of York Council. The Castle Area Campaign, along with other
groups, will work to ensure that a free and open discussion is held. To
disallow the option for a park or open space is like Henry Ford saying,
"You can have any colour you like as long as it is black."
28th September
2003 - L'shanah
tovah.
We wish a Happy New
Year to all our Jewish supporters. In fact we hope it will be a good new
year for all of us and that the plans to build a shopping mall on the
site of the 1190 massacre of York's Jewish population are now totally
defeated.
24th Sept
2003 - Victory
Parade in York.
Members and supporters
of the Castle Area Campaign marched in triumph from York Mansion
House to the Barbican Centre with banners, posters, the flag of
Normandy and a large model of Clifford's Tower. At the Barbican
Centre a large exhibition was erected and celebrations continued
with bottles of faux Champagne.
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The
"Without Walls" conference on the future of York started a 6pm
and then it got interesting. Castle Area Campaign spokesperson, Gordon
Campbell-Thomas, asked the panel what would be the Council's attitude to
development on the Castle area now that Coppergate II was defeated.
Council Leader,
Steve Galloway, astonished and delighted the audience by saying that the
time had come to take stock. Full and frank consultations would have to
take place before a new scheme could be considered and intimated that
Coppergate II was not only dead, but safely buried. A day which began
with us celebrating victory has been crowned by confirmation that the
Council now concedes the fight is over for
Coppergate II.
23rd Sept 2003
- Another
development on Piccadilly planned.
Northminster Properties has submitted a plan for 14 flats
on the former Polar Motors site on the Piccadilly side of the River Foss.
The flats were originally part of the Castle Quarter plan, put forward
as an alternative to Land Securities' Coppergate II scheme. Andrew Eccles
said, "Coppergate II is dead and does not have a future. We believe our
plan could be a stepping stone for the regeneration of the rest of the
area."
23rd
Sept 2003 - Greens
sod up car park.
York's
Green Party started the foundations for a green and open space by
laying turf on one of the parking spaces of the Castle Car Park
today.
Councillor Andy
D'Agorne said, "Now that the Coppergate scheme has been so resoundingly
rejected, the Without
Walls process must recognise the broad public support for the
area between Clifford's Tower and the Foss to be turned into a public
park, with replacement parking on the Piccadilly side of the river."
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18th September
2003 - Promising
new castle garden precinct idea unveiled
Centred on Clifford's
Tower, it would see the Castle Car Park grassed over, with the foundations
of the Victorian prison walls beneath exposed, as has been done with the
remains of St Mary's Abbey in Museum Gardens. There would be a quiet garden
of remembrance at the north end of the female prison, where archaeologists
have discovered the remains of two burial grounds, and a covered area
for events, exhibitions and displays erected beside the River Foss. The
proposal has been drawn up by building conservationist Alison Sinclair
in consultation with archaeologists, environmental campaigners and members
of York Tomorrow.
12th September
2003 - Council
to launch internal inquiry
The Planning deparment
of City of York Council is to launch an inquiry into why planners backed
the plans, given that in the end they turned out to be a bad idea after
all. The Castle Area Campaign would be glad to submit evidence to this
inquiry also, but more realistically we anticipate a repeat of the previous
less-than-incisive, blame-free internal inquiry into the notorious 'losing'
of the Conservation Architect's report.
10th
September 2003 - Minister
throws out Coppergate plans!
Land Securities has been routed; the planning department humiliated.
Having been set in for a long wait, the decision came untrumpeted with
the post this morning. Groups such as York's Local Agenda 21, York Tomorrow,
and the Council were informed that the Housing and Planning Minister,
Keith Hill, agreed with inspector Bingham that the plans were an overdevelopment
of the site. According to the Evening Press, he said that the development
failed to acknowledge the sensitivity of the area. Members of the Castle
Area Campaign were seen in various parts of town drinking champagne and
cheering. It is a time for great celebration.
It's all over! ...for now.
Our celebrations must be tempered with the news that Land Securities do
not intend to drop their plans to develop the Castle Area. The question
now is, will they finally listen to something other than the future sounds
of cash registers, or will they require a third beating? Keep watching
this site. A
full roundup of responses and details of the government's statement will
be on this site soon.
22nd August 2003
- Two
more City of York Council Planners quit
The City of York Council
must be running on empty by now as another two staff desert the sinking
ship that has become its Planning Department. Alasdair Morrison who was
Head of Development and Regeneration has left, as has Janine Riley. Janine
is a heroine of the Castle Area Campaign because, as York's Conservation
Architect, she wrote a report critical of the proposed Coppergate II development.
Her bosses hid the report and did not allow elected Councillors to see
it before the fateful day the Planning Committee
voted in favour of the shoddy Coppergate scheme. The report was later
unearthed following an investigation. Click
here to read Janine Riley's report criticising Land Securities' scheme.
12th August 2003
- Delay
over Public Inquiry decision on Coppergate
City of York Council
staff confirmed that there is no sign of a decision from the Office of
the Deputy Prime Minister on Coppergate II. It is likely that the verdict
will be delayed until September, possibly longer. My bet is on longer.
29th July 2003
- CABE
Space launched by Tony McNulty MP
The Commission for
Architecture and the Built Environment aims to support over 60 local authorities
to develop a strategic approach to improving the management of parks and
urban spaces. The scheme was officially launched by Regeneration Minister,
Tony McNulty, the very same Minister who will deliver the verdict on Coppergate
II. Surely Tony McNulty ought to look favourably on our desires for public
open space at Clifford's Tower, rather than more shops. So, is York one
of the 60 local authorities who have asked CABE
Space for help with its open space strategy? No, it is not. Tragically
York's useless planners missed the opportunity.
8th
July 2003 - International
petition handed in.
A
petition of comments from all around the world was handed over to
the City of York Council in protest at the plans to build Coppergate
II next to Clifford's Tower. You can see and sign the petition yourself
by clicking www.cliffordstower.com/petition/
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23rd
June 2003 - Taj
Mahal saved from mall.
The
Indian Government has responded to public protest at developers' plans
to build a shopping mall near the Taj Mahal. Seems eerily reminiscent
of our own problems with greedy developers here in York, England.
Three cheers for the Indian Government. Let's hope the British Government
can also see the value of its nation's heritage at Clifford's Tower. |
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4th June 2003 -
...or
July... and it will not be John Prescott after all.
Deputy
Prime Minister John Prescott will not make the big decision on York's Coppergate
II fiasco on the grounds that York is too close to his Hull constituency.
Would big John have been too sympathetic? Who knows. The indication is now
that the decision will be announced by Planning Minister Tony McNulty MP.
24th May 2003 -
Results
of Coppergate Public Inquiry expected in June
Well it drifts on,
but the latest news is that John Prescott, Secretary of State, will announce
his decision and the result of the Public Inquiry toward the end of June.
10th May 2003 -
Election
changes - good and bad.
York now has a Council
run by Liberal-Democrats. In theory this is bad as the party has been
pro-Coppergate. However a new Council and new Leader may bring
surprises. Let's see how we can get a better deal for York and our visitors
with regard to the historic area surrounding Clifford's Tower. Some bad
news was that the anti-Coppergate Conservatives lost their seats. However
particularly good news is that anti-Coppergate Greens took two seats.
Some other anti-Coppergate councillors such as Janet Hopton (Independent)
and David Wilde and Brian Watson (Labour) retained their seats.
12th April 2003
- The
elections are due on 1st May. Use your vote!
Click to see all the
anti-Coppergate candidates standing in
the local Council elections on 1st May. You can vote for the people who
will stop Coppergate and get rid of those who would sell our city's treasures
to developers in London. Vote for York.
23rd April 2003
- Clifford's
Tower to be sold by public auction
Ah, but fear not! 'Tis
merely an amusing pretence by York Green Party which strongly opposes
Shoppergate. The Greens' election pledge is that the party "will
refuse to sell Council land for the controversial Coppergate II development."
Well said. The Greens' public auction takes place at 11am on Weds 23rd
April at Clifford's Tower - where else?
8th April 2003
- York
Council again tries to obstruct democratic process
The extent of the City
of York Council's capabilities to inform citizens of the candidates in
the forthcoming elections is to nail a list to the door of the Guildhall.
This might have been acceptible in Martin Luther's day but it looks decidedly
pathetic and obstructive to the democratic process in the modern age.
Despite numerous email requests, York Council has failed to provide a
list of candidates' names and addresses. There can be no reason for withholding
this information other than to waste time and try to make it difficult
for citizens to contact the candidates personally before the elections.
Who's interests are being served?
2nd April 2003
- Results
of Coppergate Public Inquiry expected in May
It was never going
to be announced before the elections on May 1st was it? We now know that
John Prescott will deliver the verdict of the Public Inquiry into Coppergate
II around the mid to end of May. In the meantime we have the opportunity
to unseat those Councillors who sold York
down the river. Vote for York on May 1st.
16th
March 2003 - Anniversary
of massacre
The anniversary
of the darkest hour in York's history, the killing in 1190 of 150
Jewish people at Clifford's Tower. York's population of Jews took
refuge inside the then wooden tower from a rampaging mob. Seeing
no possibility of escape many of the unfortunate Jews chose to die
by their own hand while those who surrendered were slaughtered.
Is it any place
to build a shopping mall, on the ground where this massacre took
place?
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3rd
March 2003 - Broadcast
on French TV
TV journalists
from "France 3 Normandie" visit York to make a news programme
on the situation at Clifford's Tower. The plans for a shopping mall
mirror the desecration of the Chateau de Falaise in Normandie - the
home of William the Conqueror who was responsible for building the
original York Castle. |
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23rd
February 2003 - York
demonstrators gather
Protesters in York
demonstrate against the City of York Council and Land Securities'
plans to build an unsustainable shopping mall next to the scheduled
ancient monument of Cliford's Tower. "We will not let York Council
off the hook" said one irate citizen.
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31st
January 2003 - Yorkshire
celebrities speak.
Well-known
figures from the arts, media, politics and sport have entered the
fray in the battle against the Coppergate shopping mall in York. Household
names such as Freddie Truman, Janet Street-Porter, A.S. Byatt, Tony
Benn, Lord Healey and Sir Bernard Ingham (pictured) have spoken out
against the development. Click
to see the comments. |
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14th
January 2003 - Inquiry
Anniversary
One year on from
the start of the public inquiry into the proposed Coppergate II development,
campaigners are calling for "justice to be done" for York and its
heritage.
"Justice Clifford Stour" and other campaign members are
hoping the inquiry result will throw out the application to build
a shopping mall on the land surrounding the ancient monument of Clifford's
Tower. |
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1st January 2003 -
York
Tomorrow now online
York Tomorrow has now
got its own website which details the evidence intended for the Appeal against
the refusal by York Council of a public park at Clifford's Tower. Outrageously,
York Tomorrow was never able to submit the evidence to the Planning Inspector
due to intimidation and threats of financial ruin by the City of York Council's
barrister. Now at least their evidence is in the public domain. NB:
Site dismantled in 2005.
Click
here to see earlier news from 2002.
And
earlier news from 2001.
And
even earlier news from 1998 to 2000.
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