THE campaign to save a York coach and car park has been taken to a member of the European Parliament as opposition to its sale continues to grow.

City of York Council’s ruling cabinet will meet next week to discuss selling the Union Terrace site to York St John University, but a petition calling for the deal to be abandoned has now topped 15,000 signatures.

The Save Union Terrace Car Park group has written to Euro-MP Diana Wallis, who represents Yorkshire and the Humber, to highlight the issue and ask for support.

The university is looking to buy the car park for a campus expansion, which Labour say would release £2 million for a city centre revitalisation scheme and create more than 100 jobs.

In their letter to Ms Wallis, campaigners said the sale would have a “devastating effect on the retail, tourist and hospitality trades” and be “a huge loss to local people”, mentioning how the European Commission has intervened in other development projects in the UK.

They collected about 600 signatures when BBC’s The Antiques Roadshow filmed at the Museum Gardens yesterday, taking the total close to 15,800.

Spokesman Matthew Greenwood said: “It’s an absolutely phenomenal response and we’re hoping for many more names before next week’s meeting.

“We’re angry there was no consultation before this proposal was announced, and although the council is now offering consultation, we want these plans to be scrapped. They have to listen to us.”

Meanwhile, Liberal Democrat leader Carol Runciman has asked the council’s chief executive, Kersten England, to change the venue for an extraordinary meeting of the authority called by her party, also being held next Thursday, from the council chamber to the Guildhall itself.

She said this would allow the numbers expected to attend to be accommodated without having to rely on an audio link from the chamber.