Future plans for the Terry's site fall well short of doing justice to the iconic and historically important site; - that's according to local ward councillors. And should the planning application considered today (Thursday) be approved, it will lead to a raft of problems for the local community they say.

Micklegate ward councillor, Dave Merrett has submitted his comments to the planning committee and said:

"The plans for the Terry's site I'm afraid to say are unambitious in the context of the site as a premier employment development opportunity. But there are a host of other reasons why I am urging members to reject the application. Plans contain an over-concentration on flats which we know to contribute little to reversing the housing shortage in the city.

"In transport terms, the plans would deliver the exact opposite of what our own local policies recommend by being almost entirely car-oriented with insufficient emphasis on public transport and appropriate cycle track links. The consequence of this would be to worsen air quality which is already breaching the council's own objectives. Add to this the loss of on street parking for residents and lack of replacement employment for Terry's workers and you can see the plans offer nothing to benefit local people".

Speaking at the meeting of the Planning Committee, Coun. Julie Gunnell commented on the community element of the plans reflected the developer's emphasis. She said:

"At an early stage we had a community hall as part of the plans but this quickly disappeared. You can not expect to develop something like this and simply ignore the community aspect of it - it may eat into profit but developers have a responsibility through planning guidance to take this into account. There is a contribution to open space which is one of very few positives in this application".

Also attending the Committee fellow Micklegate councillor Sandy Fraser summed up ward councillors' feelings on the plans:

"There is a general sense of disappointment about the potential - if passed- overdevelopment of what is a cherished, and iconic, listed building. The nature of the employment proposed will do little or nothing to replace the jobs formerly occupied by Terry's workers, and this is one of its major flaws. A great many women from the local area of South Bank worked at this site, which provided them the flexibility to combine work and other responsibilities including family commitments."

"The traffic problems that would stem from this being passed would have a hugely detrimental impact on the local area. The number of parking spaces being increased from 410 to over 1300 speaks of the magnitude of this development and rather than provide a blueprint for sustainability, it does exactly the opposite.

"Throughout discussions with the council the developer has adamantly refused to contribute to improving the local No. 11 bus service, which serves this part of York, and which is currently a poor and unreliable service. Car usage around the site could be reduced and local people could benefit if the developer were to take a more constructive approach.

"As Ward Councillors we will be calling for the plans to be rejected or, at least, for the application as it stands to be deferred, for further negotiations between the council and the developer to take place to come up with a more acceptable blueprint for the site, and to reduce the adverse impact on local residents," he concluded.