SOME Labour councillors wanted the choice of abandoning plans to sell a York coach and car park to be on the table at a crunch meeting over its future.

Six members of York’s ruling Labour group voted in favour of a “no-sale” option to be included in a report about the potential sale of the Union Terrace site to York St John University, which goes before the authority’s cabinet tonight.

The proposal – revealed in a leaked copy of minutes from a meeting of the Labour group, held last week – was defeated, with 11 councillors voting against it and two abstaining.

A subsequent vote on deleting the no-sale option from that proposal was supported by 17 councillors.

But Clifton councillor David Scott and Guildhall councillor Brian Watson opposed its deletion, with two abstentions.

Five options will be discussed at tonight’s meeting. All include selling part of the site to the university for a campus expansion but retaining some coach parking.

If agreed, it will be subject to at least six weeks of public consultation. One option would maintain the existing coach provision.

Labour group spokesman Coun Neil Barnes said: “We are listening to the concerns expressed on Union Terrace and Labour councillors want the council to consult on a number of options we believe address these concerns.

“However, all Labour group meetings are conducted in accordance with our standing orders and we will not make public comment on internal group matters.”

More than 20,000 people have signed a petition opposing any sale. Campaigners, who say it would decimate local businesses, will demonstrate ahead of tonight’s Guildhall cabinet meeting, and a preceding extraordinary council meeting called by the Liberal Democrats to debate withdrawing the car park proposals.

A report by Richard Wood, the council’s assistant director for strategic planning and transport, said the university expansion could provide space for 1,000 to 1,500 students, create up to 200 new jobs and inject £31 million a year into the local economy.

• See thepress.co.uk tonight and tomorrow’s edition of The Press for reports of tonight’s meetings, from which we will be providing Twitter updates.