The Evening Press today publishes the detailed results of two major opinion surveys on York's Coppergate Riverside proposals. We wanted to discover what people really thought about Land Securities' £60 million scheme to extend the Coppergate Centre. One, a random survey of 685 shoppers in York city centre, is reported on the opposite page. The other, involving our own readers completing and returning questionnaire coupons, is reported below.

We knew you felt strongly about it from the daily postbag of letters to the editor, for and against the scheme to redevelop land between historic Clifford's Tower and Piccadilly with shops and restaurants. But even we were surprised by the sheer volume of questionnaire coupons that poured into our offices every day - and by the strength and passion of your feelings about Coppergate Riverside.

More than 1,200 coupons were returned to us, many by post but a good number also by e-mail.

The accompanying comments included heartfelt pleas for the scheme to win planning permission from City of York Council as soon as possible - "Yes, yes, yes - just get on with it!" said one reader - to those who believed consent would be nothing less than an utter betrayal of York's residents and even of future generations to come.

It gradually became clear as the days went by that a clear majority of you did not like Land Securities' plans one little bit.

And now an analysis of the readers' "votes" has revealed that more than four out of five - almost 1,000 of the returned coupons - do not like the scheme and do not want it to get the go-ahead.

That compares to just over 200 who support the proposal and want it to win planning permission.

And the opposition to the project is reflected in the way people voted when asked to state what the extension to the Coppergate Centre would mean for the area and for York.

We asked whether you thought it would create new jobs, provide a greater choice of shops, boost the city centre's prosperity and improve the appearance of the area.

We also asked if you thought it would damage other city centre shops, cause additional pollution, create an eyesore near Clifford's Tower and cause wildlife problems for the Foss. And we left a space for other comments.

Not surprisingly, most of those backing the scheme thought it would create more jobs. And a minority of opponents also conceded this point. But very few of the scheme's opponents would admit that it would provide a greater choice of shops, with the total "vote" of just under 200 for this.

A similar number of readers thought the project would boost the city centre's prosperity, and only a few more thought it would improve the appearance of the area. But on this particular point, a number of readers made it clear that they had mixed feelings: they felt Piccadilly's appearance would be improved by the scheme but not the area around Clifford's Tower. The strongest feelings against the scheme undoubtedly focused upon the impact on Clifford's Tower and potential damage to existing city centre shops.

Almost 1,000 readers - including some who still felt able to support the project - were worried that the development would create an eyesore near the historic listed building. And almost 900 were concerned about the effect of the new shops on stores elsewhere in the city - echoing the fears expressed by many retailers in the Evening Press in recent months.

More than 700 also had worries that the scheme might create additional pollution in York, as well as potential problems for wildlife in the River Foss area.

Many commented that they wanted parkland and open space created around the tower.

The message from Evening Press readers to the planners is simple: Coppergate Riverside is unacceptable on a number of fronts and should be thrown out.

PICTURE: HISTORIC SETTING: A view of the proposed Coppergate II development looking towards Clifford's Tower and the Castle Museum

Click here return to the Coopergate II index