THE city's political leaders today pledged to work with Arc Light as it looked to build a new homeless centre in York.

City of York Council leader Steve Galloway, Labour opposition group leader Dave Merrett, and Green leader Andy D'Agorne issued a joint statement confirming their commitment to "addressing the issue of social exclusion in the city".

Expressing "disappointment" that Arc Light's planned move to Shipton Street School ended in failure, the trio said it was their intention to "work in partnership with Arc Light in their renewed search for a suitable site".

Arc Light, which is based at Leeman Road, needs to find a new home which can meet its needs and has acquired more than £1 million in Government funding for a purpose built building.

But its plans to build a 34-bed one-stop-shop at the former Clifton school ended in failure in September after it gained little support from residents.

More than 2,000 signed a petition protesting against the proposed move and, as the Evening Press revealed last week through the Freedom of Information Act, there was criticism over the way residents were consulted.

No new site has yet been made public, but York's political leaders promised the process of selecting a home would be "transparent to residents".

"The leaders of City of York Council's three political groups confirm their joint commitment to addressing issues of social exclusion in the city," the statement read.

"We recognise the major contribution, which has been made by the Arc Light organisation in turning round the lives of the homeless and helping many to overcome drug and alcohol dependency.

"We believe that the current Arc Light hostel provides an essential safety net for those members of society who, through force of circumstance, have found themselves without shelter or support.

"We believe that improvements to the services that Arc Light is able to provide for its users are essential, and we are pleased that central government funding for such improvements has been offered to the city.

"We are disappointed that the first attempt to find a new home ended in failure, but we take this opportunity to state our intention to work in partnership with Arc Light in their renewed search for a suitable site.

"We have collectively met with Arc Light to agree a process for finding a site, and will ensure that the process is transparent to residents and that proper consultation processes are in place.

"And we will continue to use our best endeavours, including working with central Government, to ensure that the new facility is adequately resourced."

Updated: 10:09 Wednesday, January 04, 2006