York

“York’s Sweet Story” Sparks Bitter Row

July 26th, 2012
Alysia Judge
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York’s latest attraction, ‘Chocolate: York’s Sweet Story’, has solidified the city’s reputation as a ‘chocolate capital’, breathing life into the mouth-watering legacy of confectionery that has paved its cobbled streets for three hundred years. Based in the City Centre, the museum rapidly established itself as a must-see destination for tourists and locals alike to experience the process of chocolate-making first hand from bean to bar whilst enticing its sweet-toothed patrons with an array of confectionary on sale in its storefront shop.

Unveiling its latest plans, the museum is hoping to extend its candy coloured cafe out onto King’s Square where it hopes to serve food and drink until 8pm. However, the proposal has put in motion a collision between another long-standing tradition in York: Street Performers.

Street Performers have long been a vibrant and dynamic feature of York, swathing its streets with a wide range of entertaining talents. A popular site has traditionally sat in King’s Square, and the Chcoolate Museums’s new plans for seven or eight outside tables have sparked concern that performative space will be severely curtailed. With no space for an audience, there are growing fears that some of the best street artists, both local and visiting, will be unable to perform leading to the destruction of busking tradition within King’s Square.

The introduction of ‘York’s Sweet Story’ to the square has generated an investment of £2million to rennovate the much-loved space. The museum claims to have sought pre-planning advice from The City of York Council before submitting the application for increased outside space, hoping to work alongside other traders and buskers to augment, rather than stifle, the vibrant atmosphere of the square.

The decision now rests with the City Council, who will take into account the fifty-one signatures on the performer’s petition against the expansion before reaching their final verdict.

  • http://www.yorkstories.co.uk/ YorkStories

    The wording suggests that there’s been a two million pound investment in the ‘much-loved space’ – surely the investment was in the museum itself, which of course visitors have to pay to get into.
     
    King’s Square has been an open public space for as long as most of us can remember, and I can’t really see how tables can fit happily in it without inconveniencing everyone else who uses or passes through the square. Drinks would have to be carried across what is at present a fairly busy pedestrian route from Petergate to the Shambles and the market.
     
    The planning documents can be viewed on this link:
    http://planningaccess.york.gov.uk/online-applications/applicationDetails.do?activeTab=documents&keyVal=M6YBEWSJ0B800
     

    • rosed

      Exactly. Yet another pay-to-enter Disney York tourist attraction (is there a chocolate mouse?) when the street performers are a fixture. When private business starts to enclose public land, we should all sit up and take notice!

  • headspace_jess

    I agree, my issue is less about the performers (there’s plenty of space around York) but that its already extremely busy here! it wouldn’t be feasible to be serving people across such a tiny yet main route. 

  • Searcher37

    Now here is someone I can appreciate, not only intelligent but she can communicate in English, albeit without a spell check! The concept of the Chocolate Story is good but they lack the ability to adjust to their location and environment.The outside is bland with no instant visual grab factor. The cost is high like many such tourist based venues in York, and they do not see that the attraction of the  street performers should increase their potential to attract customers.All in all shortsighted , a common factor in York.
    Kings Square is a unique crossroads in the center of the City and has no need for another street food outlet. There is need to have an entertainment focus if shops, cafes and maybe the Market stayed open later?

  • Tall Paul

    The recently refreshed Parliament Street is a perfectly good alternative for street performers.

    • oggie

       @Tall Paul
       Parliament Street is already extensively used by performers and by the plethora of outdoor market events that fill many of the weeks (and especially weekends) during the year.  It is also a huge open space with a totally different ambience to Kings Square and tend to attract amplified musicians who play long sets rather than the variety of performers that use the square.

  • http://www.yorkstories.co.uk/ YorkStories

    Looking at it purely objectively, the new open area in Parliament St might actually seem preferable in terms of space, but then I’m not a street performer, and no doubt other factors come into it.
     
    The fate of this little area of open space seems to have acquired a symbolic importance.  It’s one of those turning points perhaps between old York and the new gentrified York. There have been a few over the last ten or twenty years, but I never thought there’d be such strong feelings over scruffy little King’s Square. Can completely understand though why it’s being fought for.
     
    Emotions aside, the plans should be refused just because they’re not workable by this busy pedestrian route and don’t leave enough room for other users of the square.

  • rosed

    Yorkstories, you have hit on the issue exactly. Old York vs ‘New’ York; locals versus the Almighty Tourist Cash; and therefore i think we’re doomed.  Cllr Alexander does not care a toss about locals.  

    • http://www.yorkstories.co.uk/ YorkStories

       @rosed Cllr Alexander does seem to see York folk as somewhat backward and resistant to change. Aren’t you glad that he’s dropped by our historic city to show us the way to modernise the place? ;)

      • rosed

        you catch more flies with honey. He needs to sit down with locals and *listen* to our concerns.  He may view the city as a grand canvas, a work in progress etc, but the cogs count.  I’m a crip cog and really dont fancy the place pedestrianised to the point i am stuck in my house, ghetto-ised by my reduced mobility and unwilling to drive thru crowds of visitors and local shoppers.   Indeed some streets are only open to taxis (unaffordable) or buses (would take 2-3 bus transfers) as it is now.  Hence why i rarely go to Coppergate.
        People must be able to walk or roll or what have you through the city.  It cant all be set up for the temporarily abled, the tourist, the shop owners, the taxis.

  • FergusCoates

    Actually there are now over 1000 signatures on the petition. A some what more weighty number than 51. May want to update this

  • FergusCoates

    Actually there are now over 1000 signatures on the petition. A some what more weighty number than 51. May want to update this

    • rosed

       @FergusCoates On-line link or paper petition: where to find? 

      • FergusCoates

         @rosed There are 514 signatures on the e- petition here http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/save-kings-square and 2480 signatures on the paper petition 
         

        • http://www.yorkstories.co.uk/ YorkStories

           @FergusCoates  Impressive! Really glad so many people care about this.

        • rosed

           @YorkStories  @FergusCoates me too.  Signed and posted on Fb.

  • rosed

    This is an enclosure of publicly used land; and makes it difficult to get to and from the uber-tourist attraction of the Shambles and the Market. Its another sell-off of the family silver for short-term gain, just like Alexander tried to do with the Union St car park.

  • http://www.yorkstories.co.uk/ YorkStories

    Anyone who wants to object and have it taken into account as part of the planning process can comment via the CoYC planning pages – see first comment below for the relevant link. You have to login & give address details etc (note – these are published online with your comment). See under the ‘Comments’ tab on that link for examples. There have been many objections registered there already.
    If we are living in a democracy, and one which takes planning guidance into account, then it would seem this application should be refused, on the grounds of the many valid objections already registered.

  • FranF

    This is yet another example of James Alexander’s ignorance and carelessness. 

  • http://www.yorkstories.co.uk/ YorkStories

    I don’t quite understand why James Alexander keeps being mentioned? I’m no great fan, since he made patronising and rather clueless remarks about the city’s resistance to ‘change’, but I don’t think this can be laid at his door. It’s an application by a business to put seating outside their museum/cafe, and so is dealt with as all planning applications are.

    • FranF

       @YorkStories Because he has said that he wants these plans to go ahead and that this is an example of the resistance to change.

      • http://www.yorkstories.co.uk/ YorkStories

         @FranF - haven’t heard about that. Was it on Twitter? Most things seem to be ;)

      • rosed

        Exactly.  Sets the ethos, makes clear he sees a very, very different city than us lowly, easily pleased whingey peasants have done for all these wasted years.

    • rosed

      I think he has rather set the ethos of the current council. [I've read the planning application, and it screams volumes with what it doesnt mention about the square'c current use btw].

  • KarlMullen

    There are by now hundreds, if not thousands of signatures on the petition, but I find it very unlikely that the city council will condescend to take any notice of that.
    It should be noted that King’s Square is famous for “circle shows”, ie jugglers, sword swallowers, fire-eaters etc. “York’s Sweet Story” is dishonest to claim to want to “work alongside” these performers. If their plan goes ahead, working together will be impossible for the very simple and obvious reason that there will be no space for an audience for the circle shows. This is known full well by all concerned parties.
    Anybody who cares about King’s Square needs to lodge their objection- and quickly, before it is lost forever to bland commercialism. See the link…
    http://planningaccess.york.gov.uk/online-applications/applicationDetails.do?activeTab=neighbourComments&keyVal=M6YBEWSJ0B800

  • KarlMullen

    @Tall Paul. Unfortunately that’s not true mate, because the council hire out that area much of the time, or arrange other events there, especially during peak tourist seasons. To some extent the same has always been true of King’s Square, but between the two pitches it is still possible for York to sustain the circle shows.
    Without King’s Square, the guys will not be able to work here anymore. It’s as simple as that.

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