Agenda item

At this point in the meeting members of the public who have registered to speak can do so. Members of the public may speak on agenda items or on matters within the remit of the Executive.

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It was reported that there had been four registrations to speak at the meeting under the Council’s Public Participation Scheme.

Dr Louise Hampson spoke in relation to agenda item 8, Major Projects – Castle and Eye of York Update Report and Next Steps. Dr Louise Hampson was part of University of York and had been closely involved with the consultations undertaken by the team working on Castle Gateway and the Castle Eye space projects focussed particularly on the area around Clifford's Tower and with the local Jewish community as well as other Jewish communities across the country and the world. This was an area of the city rich in history with overlapping and intersecting stories. But the national and international significance of the Jewish heritage around the events of 1190 were of exceptional importance. People came from all over the world to be in that space. Sometimes as individuals, but often in groups. They came to be in a space with enormous emotional and spiritual significance for them. Akin in many cases to a pilgrimage. For those that can, climbing the steep steps to go inside Clifford's Tower was a powerful experience. But for those who were unable to make the climb or for whom that experience was too intense, there needs to be a way of meeting those needs.

It was felt that development of this area offered a once in a generation opportunity to create a space within the wider plans for that area, which recognised the extraordinary significance of this intangible heritage, both in York's history and that of Jewish communities across the world. That it should offer people a place to step out of the bustle of other visitors and be able to take the time to reflect, to pray, to acknowledge what happened here and to be able to do so easily without fear of being in the way or being hurried on by the traffic of other users in that space. It was felt that this required clear delineation without being exclusionary and should be accompanied by interpretation which acknowledged that users needed accurate information about the events of 1190, but which sets this primary story sensitively into the wider context of the multivalent histories of that space in ways which allow people to engage with their own thoughts and reflections.

Whilst acknowledging and understanding that budgets had reduced, and some aspects of the wider scheme as originally envisaged have had to be reviewed, Executive was urged to ensure that permissions granted this fundamental principle of creating a defined, generous, beautiful, safe and inclusive gathering space in which this story was clearly and sensitively told and where everyone from large school groups exploring history to elderly people wanting to step out, sit down, and be with their own thoughts was not cut back. Current world events had made the circumstances and events of 1190 feel particularly resonant, and this scheme could and should be an opportunity to show that York not only knows its history but learns from it and can teach the rest of the world about it.

Lilian Coulson spoke in relation to agenda item 8, Major Projects – Castle and Eye of York Update Report and Next Steps. As a long-standing consultee York Liberal Jewish Community requested that the current proposals be amended to become more inclusive, better meet the needs of its current users, better telling its important history, and reflected York's values today.

To meet City of York Council’s financial constraints, it was suggested that the current phasing of some elements be reconsidered to ensure that what was included and implemented in phase one will be meaningful and perform its intended function.

The scheme's evolution has reinstated much needed blue badge parking, but the requested numerous seating areas around the pathway were now concentrated mainly around the large children's play area and the Eye of York with little along other main walkways of the Clifford Tower green space. And the removal of the event space included the removal of the 1190 memorial garden. Any commemoration, contemplation, prayer, and learning was now expected to take place on the new circular path to be built into the base of the mound around Clifford's Tower. The masterplan now annotated a single bench as the 1190 memorial space with potential for a future memorial subject to other unknown funding. It was requested that the 1190 memorial garden be reinstated to properly respect the history of this important site, explain what happened here, and as a place that showed that in York we move forward together. As a multifunctional space, it should be a commemoration for those who died here in 1190. A proper reflective space for those who wish to play and quietly think, an informed functional space where school and tour groups can learn about Clifford’s Tower and its history, a focal space for the annual Clifford’s Tower commemoration event, and a quiet seating area for all. All provided in a designated landscaped area where large numbers of people can sit and stand off the main walkways overlooking Clifford's Tower and away from the main children's play area.

It was proposed that the Memorial Garden be expanded to include something currently missing from our city. There was currently no peace garden in York, and where better to site it than at the heart of our city's former castle to provide a new welcoming space where people can sit and learn of our city's values together. Today we are an interfaith city and city of sanctuary where we regularly stand together against religious intolerance, racism and hate. With clear information about our past and our future, this 1190 memorial peace garden can tell our history and how we learn from it to encourage all who live and visit York to make it one city for all. This would provide perfect symmetry of the past and what we stand for in York for our future.

It was requested that the priorities for the current application and the first phase of implementation be reconsidered to reinstate the memorial garden and if funds were needed for this then the circular path could be deferred to a later phase when wider traffic considerations could be more easily resolved.

Councillor Rose spoke in relation to multiple agenda items.  It was reported that the Executive agenda contained monumental pieces of work in relation to the anti-poverty strategy, neighbourhood model, numerous prospectus items, the Clifford's Tower area plans, the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL), and much more. Obscured by the bigger items were many smaller improvements for residents. For instance, in the Acomb area alone, there had been positive work at Acomb Library, Energise, Westfield School, Lowfield, the multi-use games area, street lighting renewals, active travel schemes, a great places plan, and parts of the city's largest ever highways resurfacing programme. This was the real substance of what the council does alongside social care and it was therefore disappointing to see only two articles about these developments across the local press. That there was so much that York residents did not know about that benefit them. These positives were despite the greatest pressures on council finances. 

It was felt that in relation to York Christmas Markets, the Human Rights Act, Article 2, did not mean spending all money eliminating every potential risk to life. It was about ensuring the appropriate balance. The police had its own view on balance, but the role of the police prevented true neutrality and meant that they could view balance differently to human rights groups and others. The council routinely weighed up all rights for all residents for this very reason.

Andrew Lowson representing York BID spoke in relation to agenda item 8, Major Projects – Castle and Eye of York Update Report and Next Steps. It was reported that there was still some nervousness from within the business community about how the removal of Castle Car Park will affect the footfall on the city.

Having been a member of the steering group for many years and some of those original mitigations, such as the multi-story car park at St. George's, the link bridge for Castle Mills, the new event space, those had all been removed from the scheme. This linked to the wider conversation on car parking and accessibility to the city. The spend data and anecdotes from businesses points that local spend is down since April and this was something York BID would look to bring to the attention of Executive as part of the upcoming car parking consultation. York BID welcomed the ambitions behind the Castle and the Eye of York project, particularly as this was a once in a generation opportunity to reshape one of our city's most important historic areas to make it greener and more welcoming. The businesses who supported this project were hopeful it will drive footfall, especially around the Coppergate area.

It was requested that progress on this project was balanced with practicality in relation to the closure of Castle Car Park. The report made clear that this would remove about 268 spaces with the mitigation focused on the Coppergate multi-story. It was stressed how vital it was that the Coppergate improvements were completed and fully operational before any closure took place. Those upgrades such as better signage, extended hours were not just cosmetic. They were essential to make Coppergate an attractive alternative, safe and convenient environment. Until those measures were in place, if Castle Car Park was removed, it could risk creating some pressures on accessibility and undermine some confidence in in the wider project.

There was also some disappointment expressed in relation to the proposed foot bridge linking Castle Mills and Eye of York, which had been removed from the scheme. That bridge was never simply just about convenience. It was about connectivity, encouraging footfall to flow naturally between different sites and developments. The council and its partners were urged to ensure that the footbridge remained firmly built into the castle mills development plans. It was not considered that the long-term success of the whole masterplan was dependent on seamless access and movement across the Foss.