THE first phase of a scheme to transform York into a city of light has gone to planners.

The York:Light project aims to illuminate some of the city's oldest and most attractive buildings and landmarks to keep tourists thronging the streets into the night and also improve safety.

Now a dozen planning applications for new exterior lighting have been submitted to City of York Council.

New light is set to be thrown on buildings including the Merchant Adventurers' Hall, the City Art Gallery, King's Manor, de Grey Rooms, Fairfax House and the nearby Castlegate House, in Castlegate, and The Lodge, at the entrance to the Museum Gardens.

Other applications have been made to illuminate the Abbey Walls in the art gallery and Bootham area.

Terry Atkinson, a council economic development officer who is helping to lead the project, said this was the first batch of applications to be made, with more to come later for other landmarks such as the Guildhall and Ouse and Lendal bridges.

He said the proposals would be considered by the city centre planning sub-committee, but also by the conservation area advisory panel.

He said the scheme had been drawn up to prevent light pollution, with lighting tightly focused on buildings to pick out architectural features and masking to prevent light escaping into the sky. "It is not floodlighting," he stressed.

The scheme, which has financial backing from Yorkshire Forward, will cost £650,000 in the first couple of years.

Council bosses hope it will provide a new reason for visitors to come to the city and stay overnight, increasing their spending and, in the process, generating jobs.

Officers say that well-designed lighting has had a successful track record in rival cities, and that shining a light on York's heritage is a sound investment in the city's future.

It is also hoped the new lighting will prove an effective deterrent to crime, and also one that is more economical than CCTV.

The lscheme is part of a wider investment package targeting York's heritage in an effort to boost the city's tourism sector.

Updated: 08:50 Thursday, November 18, 2004