Ee! It is champion to be appointed as York's first Councillor Heritage Champion. See Press article. I'm very proud of it really and hope that I'll do a good job.

I also want the role to carry some clout and that the power of it is not illusory as indicated in the Press's Leader.

Over 260 other Local Authorities already had Heritage Champions and so it seemed a strange omission that a city like York should not have one. I'm pleased to see this is corrected.

I can certainly see lots to be done:-

* Properly funding the Council’s Conservation Department.

* Reassessing the boundaries of York’s Conservation Areas.

* Ensuring that buildings valued by the community are added to a “Local List” even if they cannot be formally listed.

* Valuing the contribution of local traders in the city’s “little shops” in our traditional shopping streets instead of chasing chainstores.

* Bidding for World Heritage Site status for York.