Plans for £2m visitor centre at historic tower scrapped

Plans for a visitor centre at the foot of  Clifford Tower in York have been scrapped after objections to it likened the development to a toilet block.

English Heritage submitted plans for the £2m visitor centre which were approved in 2016. A judicial review of the decision was then held in 2017, amid claims it was “deeply flawed”, but the application was rejected.

Now, the organisation has decided to scrap the development because of the public opposition. The proposed single-storey visitor centre was described by objectors as reminiscent of a “toilet block”.

English Heritage said “something still has to be done” to improve visitors’ experiences at the tower.

Andrea Selley, English Heritage’s director for the north of England, told the BBC that the City of York Council’s £30m Castle Gateway development scheme, which includes replacing the car park around the tower with a public space, “may open up opportunities that previously did not exist”.

She added there was a “deep emotional attachment” to the mound and that “the thought of changing it – even slightly and even with the very best intentions – was too much for many”.

“But the fact remains that although people love the tower, a visit is far from ideal – there is an ugly shop in the centre of the tower and little interpretation to tell its fascinating story,” she said.

“We therefore remain committed to doing justice to Clifford’s Tower and we will work with our partners and the public to get it right.”