Legal review on plans for York’s Clifford’s Tower granted

A decision by City of York Council to approve plans for a visitor centre at the city’s Clifford’s Tower is to be the subject of a judicial review.

The council approved English Heritage’s £2m plan in October.

However, Cllr John Hayes, who launched the legal challenge, believes the decision to approve the development was “deeply flawed”, BBC News reported.

A council spokesperson said it was “entirely confident” it had followed “due process at all stages”.

Mr Hayes said: “I made the application as a local resident. I am not the ward councillor for the Guildhall Ward where Clifford’s Tower stands.

“However, I live nearby and I, along with many other people in York, want to retain the mound in its simple medieval form that makes it such an iconic landmark.”

When Mr Hayes first announced his plan to seek a review of the decision a council spokesman said: “We are entirely confident we have followed due process at all stages of the application.”

A judicial review is a type of court proceeding in which a judge reviews the lawfulness of a decision or action made by a public body.

A spokesperson for English Heritage said: “English Heritage was pleased to have received planning permission from City of York Council, and remains committed to improving the quality of visits to Clifford’s Tower.

“We now await the High Court’s decision on the judicial review.”