CONTROVERSIAL plans for a visitor centre at the foot of Clifford’s Tower have been abandoned, The Press can exclusively reveal today.
English Heritage says it has decided not to proceed with the building in response to the depth of public feeling and also to City of York Council’s new Castle Gateway masterplan to transform the whole area.
A spokesman said it also had a new director for the north of England, Andrea Selley, who had been "listening to the views of the local community".
Ms Selley said: “While the proposed visitor building would have sat within a relatively modern part of the mound - dating from the 1930s - and did not pose a risk to the archaeology, it was clear that many people love the shape of the mound and disliked the thought of its circumference being broken.”
She said English Heritage had become increasingly conscious that many people had a deep emotional attachment towards the mound.
“Yes, the base of the mound is a twentieth-century construction and no, the visitor building would not have touched any of the medieval remains but, like the wallpaper in our homes, that small mound is a deeply familiar backdrop and the thought of changing it – even slightly and even with the very best intentions – was too much for many,” she said.
“Because of these reasons, English Heritage will not now place a visitor building within the mound.”
However she said the charity still believed visitors’ experiences were far from ideal and did not reflect its importance. “Very few people repeat their visit to Clifford’s Tower or recommend others to visit – something still has to be done,” she said. “Therefore with our partners and with the help of the local community, English Heritage will now rework its proposals.”
Ms Selley said the momentum behind the Castle Gateway project was "genuinely exciting" and might open up opportunities for the tower that previously did not exist.
The council granted planning permission for the tower project, which also included conservation work and improving interpretation within the building, in October 2016.
But independent councillor Johnny Hayes then announced he was applying for judicial review of the decision, saying he strongly believed the planning process had been "seriously flawed".
He was using his own money to fund the challenge but then launched crowdfunding to help meet costs.
A High Court judge rejected the bid last summer but in October Cllr Hayes announced he was taking it to the Court of Appeal. A hearing due earlier this year was delayed so a date could be found for the legal teams and judges.
In April, Cllr Hayes claimed he had new evidence which could lead to Scheduled Monument Consent being revoked. He said a Freedom of Information Request for documents and drawings which had not been submitted to the council showed an "administration wing" buried underground in the motte.
An English Heritage spokesman said today that it supplied all the necessary documents and drawings for the Clifford’s Tower Schedule Monument Consents, allowing the Inspector to make an informed judgement of the impact of the proposals.
"These documents and drawings clearly showed the exact nature and dimensions of the visitor centre, and all other works proposed for Clifford's Tower," he said.
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