22 March 2023
Include a Cultural Provision SPD in York's Local Plan

Dear City of York Council Executive,

We the undersigned believe that culture is vital to the life of our city for both residents and visitors, and we write in concern that the Supplementary Planning Document for MM8.4 Policy D3: Cultural Provision in the Local Plan is being abandoned, having been included in the Draft version of the document.

We, as the York Culture Forum, would urge City of York Council to reconsider this decision. We see the continued inclusion of Cultural Provision as vitally important. Culture is central to achieving a prosperous, progressive, and sustainable city, giving the highest priority to the wellbeing of its residents, whist protecting the fabric and culture of this world-famous historic city.

Culture contributes £59 million to the economy of the city (GVA), employing over 6,900 people across the arts, heritage, and creative industries. York is recognised nationally and internationally for its innovative work in culture for health and wellbeing, including social prescribing, which residents can benefit from throughout their lives. As the UK’s first UNESCO Creative City of Media Arts, York leads the way in contemporary creativity.

As York develops it is important that we invest strategically in culture and create new opportunities for everyone to be able to experience culture in their own neighbourhoods.

York’s Draft Local Plan, which sets out how the city will develop over the next 15 years, contains a trailblazing policy which requires developers to consider and contribute to the cultural wellbeing of the city and its residents. The Local Plan requires the City Council to reinforce these policies with Supplementary Planning Documents to add detail and support for these policies, which in turn will give confidence to both developers about the city's cultural ambitions and needs, and to residents about the creative life of their city in the future.

City of York Council Executive have decided to abandon several individual Supplementary Planning Documents, including one specifically for Policy D3: Cultural Provision - despite the recommendation of its own Working Group. In place of these specific sets of guidelines and details more general, and ultimately weaker, statements will be embedded in other documents. This decision endangers the city's unique cultural policy and will not be put out to public consultation alongside other Major Modifications to the Local Plan.

We believe that this decision lacks vision for the future success of our city and will greatly reduce the benefits that culture will have in people's lives.

We strongly urge the City of York Council to rethink this decision and to continue to lead the way in putting culture at the heart of York’s development.

The York Culture Forum, led by the Culture Executive group, an example of excellence in collaboration and cooperation within a sector in York, is uniquely placed to advise on the cultural needs of our city. We gladly offer expert support to CYC in developing a SPD for cultural wellbeing that is clear, responsive to cultural need, and ambitious for our city to build inclusive, healthy and sustainable communities, and to further collaborative practice with planners, developers and the city council.

72
signatures
70 verified
  1. Helen Apsey, Co-Chair of the Culture Executive Group, Make It York, York
  2. Chris Edwards, Chair, REACH, York
  3. Laura McMillan, Theatre Director, Grand Opera House, York
  4. Owen Turner, Managing Director, United by Design / Guild of Media Arts, York
  5. Andrew Morrison, Chief Executive, York Civic Trust, York
  6. Barbara Swinn, Head of Strategy & Engagement, Explore Libraries & Archives, York
  7. Lydia Cottrell, Director, SLAP, York
  8. Colin Jackson, Cultural Consultant, Creative Learning Partnerships, York
  9. Christopher Roberts, Operations Manager, National Centre for Early Music, York
  10. Craig Robertson, Research and Development Manager, University of York, York
  11. Graham Mitchell, Community Engagement Director, Joseph Rowntree Theatre, York
  12. Phil Bixby, Architect, Constructive Individuals / YoCo, York
  13. Esther Richardson, Joint CEO, Pilot Theatre, York
  14. Helena Cox, art curator, University of York, York
  15. Bethan Gibb-Reid, Cultural Development Manager, Make It York, York
  16. Ollie Bostock, Filmmaker, Hewitt & Walker, York
  17. Rose Copsey, Art Therapist, Avalon, York
  18. KATHY KING, Chair, York Unlocked CIO, YORK
  19. Dawn Wood, CEO, Fabrication Crafts Ltd, York
  20. Rebecca Newman, Singer & event manager, Culture Executive Group / York Proms, York
  21. Mat Lazenby, Creative Director, LazenbyBrown / Guild of Media Arts, York
  22. Rose Kent, Creative Director and Chair of Trustees, Accessible Arts & Media and Tang Hall Big Local, York
  23. Christopher Bailey, Clerk, Guild of Media Arts, York
  24. Drew Wintie-Hawkins, Artistic Director, York Dance Space, York
  25. Philip Parr, Director, York International Shakespeare Festival, York
  26. Susan Young, Director, Joseph Rowntree Theatre, York
  27. Hannah West, Art Therapist, Arts Barge, York
  28. John Atkin, Musician, Sole, York
  29. Gary Bateson, Director, Joseph Rowntree Theatre, York
  30. Daniel Bowater, Musician, York
  31. Emily Harvey, artist, The Curious Printmaker, York
  32. ann Petherick, Gallery owner, Kentmere House Gallery, York
  33. Richard Joyce, Glass Artist, GlassRich, York
  34. James Afshar Dodson, Director, VR Bytes Ltd, York
  35. Robert Powell, Writer, York
  36. Mary Rose Drew, Publisher, events mgr, performer, Stairwell Books, York Spoken Word, York
  37. Lisa Marshall, Singer, York
  38. Dan Shrimpton, Chair of Trustees, Joseph Rowntree Theatre, York
  39. David Morgan, General Manager, National Trust, York
  40. Ben Porter, Director, ACOLLECTIVE, York
  41. Adrian Carnac, Reired, YORK
  42. david fryer, retired, menagerie glade, york
  43. Richard Hunt, Tech Investor, York
  44. Amanda Smith, Joint CEO?Exec. Producer, Pilot Theatre, York
  45. Kathryn Blacker, Chief Executive, York Museums Trust
  46. Rachel Cowgill, Professor of Music & Creativity Research Champion, University of York, York
  47. Dr Liam G Herringshaw, palaeontologist, Yorkshire Fossil Festival, York
  48. Lucy Glombek, Events Manager, York Creatives CIC, York
  49. Fiona Grimshaw, Executive Director, The Rowntree Society, York
  50. Delma Tomlin, Director, National Centre for Early Music, York
  51. Paul Murphy, Chair, National Centre for Early Music, York
  52. Terence Suthers MBE, Retired cultural/heritage sector CEO, York
  53. Tom Higham, Creative Director, Mediale, York
  54. Bethany Watrous, CEO, Experience Heritage, York
  55. lauren masterman, Marketing Manager, The Bar Convent Living Heritage Centre, York
  56. Lucy Churchill, Sculptor & stonecarving tutor, Lucy Churchill Stonecarver, York
  57. Deborah Hind, York
  58. Craig Humble, Gallery Owner, Art of Protest Gallery, York
  59. Brenna Allsuch, Project manager, Art of Protest Projects, York
  60. Jeff Clark, Creative Director, Art of Protest Projects, York
  61. Jane Leach, Business Owner, Watson and White, York
  62. Angela Kavanagh, Retired, None, York
  63. Rebecca Boulton, Founder, Narvi Designs, York
  64. Caroline Turner, Ceramicist, Kokepotmama, York
  65. Jane Stevens, sculptor, York
  66. Georgia turner, York
  67. Harkirit Singh Boparai, Chair, York Music Venue Network, york
  68. Dave Fleming, Arts development, Explore York, York
  69. Willow Bowen, Creative Producer, Mediale, York
  70. Tom McKenzie, Managing Director, Spark York, York
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