York is a city with an outstanding past and an exciting future. The quality and range of archaeological and historic buildings and layers and the quality and extent of the archives contained within the city make York one of the most interesting and important places in the world. York wants to pursue World Heritage status so that these outstanding universal qualities are recognised and celebrated.

The World Heritage Convention (adopted by UNESCO in 1972) was ratified by the UK in 1984. The Convention provides for the identification, protection, conservation and presentation of cultural and natural sites of "outstanding universal value", and requires a World Heritage List to be established under the management of an inter-governmental World Heritage Committee.

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) is responsible for the UK's general compliance with the Convention, and for nominating sites in England. The DCMS completed a review of the UK Tentative List of World Heritage sites in 2009. The DCMS has decided that a new UK Tentative List will be created. A simple, inexpensive, two-stage application process has been set out. Stage 1 applications must be made to the DCMS by 12 June 2010.

On 17 March 2009, the Executive of City of York Council agreed that once the DCMS announced what the application process will be, York should apply for World Heritage status. This decision followed on from work carried out by the York World Heritage Steering Group, chaired by Janet Hopton MBE. The Steering Group will continue to meet and coordinate information to support the bid which will be made by City of York Council.

The work of the Steering Group has demonstrated that World Heritage status will deliver a number of significant economic and social benefits for the city.

It will:

• maintain and boost tourism visits and spend in the city
• develop the strengths of York-based companies and University departments that research and interpret the past
• encourage better design of new buildings in the city
• underpin the quality of life which makes York a world-class place to live, learn and do business in
• showcase York's successful policies in relation to conserving and understanding the archaeology of the city
• lead to increased international links

Public consultation in 2008-09 demonstrated that there is overwhelming public support within the city for this bid.

You can email comments to the Steering Group