City set to bid again for Unesco World Heritage status
York is to again try to become a Unesco World Heritage site, with a focus on its historic centre, listed buildings and conservation areas.
The city applied to be listed as a place of “outstanding universal value to humanity” in 2011 but this was turned down by the UK government.
Now, a report from York World Heritage Steering Group said it believed the city has “a very strong case for designation”. The Group notes a successful application could be “difficult, though not impossible”.
If its latest bid wins approval, York would join locations such as Edinburgh and Bath on the Unesco list, as well as Yorkshire landmarks Saltaire, Fountains Abbey and Haworth high street.
The UK is drawing up a new list of sites from which it puts forward one for consideration to Unesco every two years.
Unesco’s criteria for assessment includes a place which represents “a masterpiece of human creative genius”, an “outstanding example of a traditional human settlement” and exhibits “an important interchange of human values over a span of time”.
The World Heritage list includes 1,154 properties around the world, with Bath being the last British place to win inclusion.
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