Following news that the City of York Council’s planning officials have recommended that plans for a new bookshop be blocked, York Conservatives have publicly shared their backing for the proposal and have called on the Council to approve the application for a new Topping and Company bookshop in York.
Topping and Co are seeking to transform the old Visit York headquarters on Museum Street to create the UK’s largest bookshop, after four years of disuse. Despite the creation of new jobs, the positive impact on a key high street, together with support from York Civic Trust, York Conservative Trust, and York Conservation Areas Advisory Panel for the application, plus the popular desire to bring a long vacant site back into use, the City of York Council’s planning officers have recommended the application be refused.
With the Labour Government crushing small businesses with massive rises in taxes and employment costs, while the Labour Council in York is scaling back support for dualling the York Outer Ring Road, York Conservatives are calling on local Labour councillors to set their own course and do what is right for our city by voting to approve the application.
Commenting ahead of the Planning Committee hearing on 15 July, Cllr Michael Nicholls, said:
Blocking this bookshop would be a new level of bonkers by the Council. The success of York depends on supporting shopkeepers and small business owners.
How on earth can it make sense to have a key building at the centre of York empty for four years – only for plans to bring it back to life be opposed by planning officials?This is a big test of the Labour councillors on the committee. Forget Making York Great Again. We just need to Make York Commercial Again – and that starts by saying yes to this bookshop.
The recommendation to refuse Topping and Company’s application comes at a time with planning officers have also recommended that York Designer Outlet’s application for a temporary festive carpark extension be refused. The shopping outlet is home to one in five retail jobs in our city and generates millions for York's economy.
