COUNCILLORS have backed down on controversial plans to sell a York car and coach park, after a huge public backlash.

The Labour cabinet on City of York Council says it will no longer sell the whole of Union Terrace car park to York St John University, and will make sure some or all of the coach parking currently at the site remains there.

Union Terrace protest song by Orange Galaxy

The move follows a massive campaign against the original plans, including a petition signed by almost 16,000 people.

The Save Union Terrace Car Park group, who paid for the advert on today’s front page before the latest developments, stressed it would still press on with its campaign.

Coun Julie Gunnell, cabinet member for corporate services, said: “Having met with traders and heard local residents’ views, it’s right we amend the proposal to cabinet while supporting the future of York St John.

“We will no longer consider the sale of the whole of the Union Terrace site, but will consider a number of compromise options.”

Full details of the new options have yet to be made public, but they will be discussed by the council’s cabinet on Thursday.

They will all involve keeping some coach parking at Union Terrace and will include the possibility of all the current spaces remaining there.

A six-week public consultation will be held after the cabinet meets on Thursday to discuss the issue, following an extraordinary meeting of the authority, called by the Liberal Democrats to debate withdrawing the deal.

Matthew Greenwood, of the Save Union Terrace Car Park campaign, said: “We’re glad the council is listening and planning to consult, but we are still campaigning to save the whole car and coach park.

“We are convinced that, had it not been for our campaign, the council would have decided to sell the site by now, so we will continue it until a decision is made.”

Coun Gunnell said officers were working through the detail of the options to assess the implications of each one.

She said: “No decision will be taken regarding the sale of the site until we have considered the results of the consultation.

“Following the cabinet meeting, people will be able to have their say and let us know which of the various options they support.”

The council said “key principles” of the consultation included no loss of coach-parking, with at least some remaining at Union Terrace, or accessible parking.

York St John, which wants to build a campus extension on the car and coach park, will be encouraged to hold a “retail forum” with businesses and use local construction workers in any development.

Council leader James Alexander said: “We recognise many people have concerns about the proposal to sell Union Terrace and we have listened.

“That is why we are planning to hold a full consultation on a range of new options.

York St John has been co-operative during this process and are as keen as we are to listen to people’s concerns.”

‘No specific plans for Union Terrace’

FORMER York council leader Andrew Waller has said he did not discuss “specific” plans or timescales for York St John’s expansion with its vice chancellor, Professor David Fleming, after the university approached the authority over the possibility of buying Union Terrace last year.

He said “a number of development sites” would allow York St John to expand and he would not have been prepared to face retailers with “flimsy justification” for selling the car park, adding there was “insufficient evidence of the substance” of alternative parking plans.

Former city strategy chief Steve Galloway said he was “absolutely sure” he first heard of plans to build on Union Terrace this spring, but was briefed about the university’s interest by a senior council officer and Prof Fleming mentioned it to him “in passing”.

He believed a deadline of this July for making a decision was “not a practical timescale” and suggested the site might be worth more than £4 million in its current use, although its valuation should be tested on the open market.

Both Mr Galloway and Mr Waller were responding to a statement by council chief executive Kersten England on Friday, which referred to Liberal Democrats’ involvement in the Union Terrace issue while they were in power.