Hostel agreed after walkout

The Fishergate Centre in York, next to the Mason's Arms Pub, will cater for 22 homeless people.

The replacement for the city's present Peasholme Centre will be three storeys high in parts, with staff accommodation, training areas and a reception and outdoor seating area.

But the proposals have attracted strong opposition for its design from English Heritage, and many members of City of York Council's planning committee criticised its appearance.

Local residents have also claimed it would cause an upsurge in crime and anti-social behaviour.

Debbi Petch, of Oxtoby Court, Fishergate, asked if councillors would be happy if their daughter were living so close to a homeless centre. She also accused the planning committee of already having approved the decision, saying that she had spoken to two sub-contractors at the site who said they had been told the scheme had been passed.

This was strongly denied by committee chairman Coun Richard Watson, while Steve Waddington, the council's housing chief, said sub-contractors may have been pricing up the job, but denied they had been told planning permission had been granted.

There was also controversy over the possible conditions which would be attached to any permission.

Gary Miller, landlord of the adjacent Mason's Arms pub, was concerned about a proposal to install railings, to try to deter people living in the centre from crossing the road there and not using the pelican crossing.

Mr Miller tried to tell the meeting that it would affect his and other businesses, but Coun Watson told him he was not allowed to speak, adjourned the meeting and walked out.

Mr Miller and other objectors then left. Councillors eventually decided not to install railings anyway.

There was also a proposal by Coun Brian Watson that residents of the centre be subject to a 10am curfew.

This was dismissed, with Mr Waddington saying that the centre was not a prison.

The committee granted conditional approval.