A LEADING York environmental campaigner is hoping to set up a charity which will raise funds to preserve land near Clifford's Tower as a "green and open space."

Gordon Campbell Thomas, project manager of the York Environment Centre and an experienced fundraiser, says the rejection of the Coppergate Riverside scheme is the "first step" in the right direction.

"But it is important to look to the future," he said. "I'm hoisting the flag. I want to create a new organisation which will bring people together and which will be set up to get funding to develop that area as a green and open space."

He said he was hopeful other campaigners and organisations would rally round to create an effective organisation that would be able to both lobby and raise funds.

Meanwhile, the Commission of Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE), which played a role in persuading a planning inspector to recommend the rejection of Coppergate Riverside, has said that it does not rule out any development of the area.

But it said a revised scheme must be of good design quality.

CABE said it first raised concerns about Land Security's mixed-use retail and residential development in July 2000.

"At that time we were impressed by the overall form and layout of the proposal, but we did not see much evidence of convincing architecture," said a spokesman.

He said the main concerns of the public inquiry last year were the siting of the development in relation to the historic Tower and the Eye of York, the sensitivity of the scheme to the historic area and the quality of the architecture.

Paul Finch, Chairman of CABE's Design Review Committee said: "It is a matter of regret that what had the making of a good scheme for York has been let down by a reluctance to insist on the high standards of architecture and urban design which the site demands.

"We believe that it should still be possible to achieve this in respect of a revised scheme and we would offer all help to make this possible."

Updated: 11:45 Friday, September 12, 2003