REGULARS at the Frog Hall are up against it in their battle to save the pub. They must defeat the combined forces of globalisation, corporate America and a property developer if their local is to survive. And they only have a week.

It is a tall order, but they have people power on their side. Many York residents who have never set foot in the Frog Hall will support its preservation. There is widespread concern at the erosion of York's heritage by the relentless tide of consumerism. If that concern can be galvanised and harnessed, the Frog Hall can be saved.

It is helpful that the pub is set to be replaced by a McDonald's burger bar. Through its voracious international expansion - at the last count it had 28,000 restaurants in 120 countries - the fast food chain has come to symbolise globalisation.

McDonald's versus the Frog Hall is the ultimate David and Goliath contest, a factor which should rally support behind the Layerthorpe pub.

The Frog Hall will never be on the tourist trail. Yet it is an important part of York's heritage, a heritage that is fast disappearing.

Traditional, unreconstructed local pubs such as this are becoming hard to find. Another Layerthorpe pub, the John Bull, was demolished seven years ago. Many more have gone in the meantime.

No one would suggest that Layerthorpe should be left untouched. Developers Dransfield Properties say their scheme will regenerate the British Gas site and improve the environment.

Yet it is perfectly possible to submit a scheme that does all that while preserving the Frog Hall. There are other, empty buildings on Layerthorpe that could be pulled down and replaced without upsetting anyone.

Like Coppergate Riverside, this campaign has exposed an overall lack of vision concerning York's future. Piecemeal developments all around the city are changing its character irrevocably. We have embarked on a journey without any true sense of where we want to go.

Updated: 11:03 Tuesday, April 24, 2001