Pressure group York Tomorrow has announced it will appeal against the decision by the city's councillors to refuse their public park plans and give the go-ahead to the £60 million Coppergate Riverside proposal.

At a meeting of City of York planning committee last week, York Tomorrow's alternative plans for a public park on the land surrounding Clifford's Tower and in Piccadilly were refused. Philip Crowe, chairman of York Tomorrow, said: "The submissions of the many individuals and groups, both local and national, who supported the proposals were totally ignored.

"The latest telephone poll conducted by the Evening Press indicating a majority of ten to one in favour - from a total of over 2,400 respondents - was barely acknowledged."

The group is also pressing for a public inquiry into the plans to transform the 250,000 square feet of land into retail space, restaurants, offices, flats, leisure facilities and a multi-storey car park. Mr Crowe added: "We believe that this decision is totally mistaken and not in the best interests of the city. We are therefore pressing for a public inquiry so that all the issues can be debated openly and the evidence presented before an independent , impartial inspector."