Future York

The motion: This house believes that York should abandon ambitions to become a significant European city and concentrate its resources on York's own community.

Chris Titley, proposing:

SO York is not considered a significant European city. Unless you are fascinated by Anglo-Roman civilisation, by medieval life, by Viking society. Unless you belong to the Church of England, or are a Quaker or a Jew.

Unless you are a military man or woman, or a transport enthusiast. Or have a sweet tooth, or an ear for early music. Or a belief that bio-science and computer technology may influence the future of the world.

Apart from that, York is, as the motion suggests, not a significant place at all.

And we should abandon our "ambitions" to become significant, according to the motion before us.

But won't discarding our ambitions lead to York becoming a stagnant backwater?

I should say not. These days the word "ambition" is usually associated with the desire to be bigger, richer, more powerful.

But how about redirecting our ambitions, rather than abandoning them?

It is my contention that York should be hugely ambitious - to be better, kinder, happier.

York is a special place for the very fact that, a few centuries back, it had to abandon its ambitions to be a significant player, in terms of English politics at least.

That ensured it remained small. It meant that not every corner of our historical landscape was wiped out to make way for the latest grand scheme of short-term political masters.

What we have is precious. But those short-term political leaders always want to leave their mark, when they should leave well alone.

This time, they want to make us a "significant European city": which, as I already established, we already are.

But that's not good enough. They want York to be branded as a significant city. Which means working parties. Which means regular fact-finding trips to the most exotic places in Europe.

Which means expensive, out-of-town consultants preparing glossy reports containing meaningless slogans adorned by abstract logos. I have an idea. Why don't all of us who care about York promise to undertake a few fact-finding tours of our own?

Not to Turin, but to Tang Hall. Not to Barcelona, but to Bell Farm. Not to Munich, but to Fulford Road nick.

And find out what the people of York really want.

What I believe people want is for York's powerful playmakers to stop staring out there, and look in at the many key problems facing the city. Transport. Crime. Housing.

York people are seriously worried about great swathes of the city being devoured by the developers, aided by a timid and undemocratic planning culture.

They see their families having to leave the city because Leeds commuters are forcing house prices beyond them.

They are embarrassed about tourists coming here to face street crime and loutish behaviour. Let's get these problems sorted before we look to buff up our European status.

Last year Sir Ron Cooke, the former York University vice-chancellor, outlined his Without Walls vision for York to the Evening Press.

One of the key tenets to his plan was for York to have its own airport.

Forget about an airport. Let's start by building York a bus station.

Janet Barnes, opposing:

WHAT do we mean by a significant European city?

I should define it as a cosmopolitan city, tolerant of different lifestyles, with a good quality environment and cultural activities.

Some cities have to create it, such as Bilbao in Spain which hauled itself out of a post-industrial depression and is now a thriving tourist destination.

The new iconic art gallery gave the city new focus, expressing its ambitions to reinvent itself.

York already has everything it needs. York also has an incredibly strong heritage brand.

So strong, in fact, that it attracts four million visitors a year who recognise its significance as an historic city.

How can you stop being a significant city with this amount of general recognition?

We should also look at what we mean by "York's own community". Who are we talking about?

There is no simple answer.

The community is becoming more and more diverse.

One area of development is Science City which has grown by 25 per cent during the last three years.

The importance and international standing of the university is another important factor in the diversity of the community in York and one that is set to continue to grow.

The success of the university is a case in point how such institutions can substantially change the profile of a community in an incredibly short period of time.

Looking to the future, the major development project of York Central will inevitably change the dynamics of the city and its community.

Given that change happens whether we welcome it or not, it is crucial that the city has an ambition for York that will define the direction of change and that will enable it to continue to flourish and maintain its attraction as a desirable place to live and work for all its residents.

This debate is a question of resources.

York is not a big city. It has a population of 177,000 and the council works with a yearly budget of £140 million.

The council is obviously the key player, but there are many more powers operating in the city and, with the Government's agenda of increased regionalisation and devolution of power, then the situation will become complex.

We need to make sure that resources from other sources will build the future York we wish to create.

We can't pull down the hatch and live off the council, which is what the motion of the debate suggests.

Agencies such as Yorkshire Forward, all tiers of regional government and the Yorkshire Tourist Board have an interest in the city.

We need to secure investment beyond the city's own resources and we have an increasing regional responsibility to operate as a gateway to Yorkshire to maximise opportunities for visitors to the region.

We can't stand alone and keep quiet or keep thinking small because that is the way to becoming a pleasant dormitory suburb of Leeds.

Without European ambition then that's where this city is heading.

Janet Barnes is chief executive of the York Museums Trust

Updated: 10:49 Friday, July 18, 2003