Tony Bingham, the independent inspector appointed to examine the Coppergate II planning application, will be conducting business away from the Guildhall for the first time this week - before adjourning the inquiry after four weeks.

Mr Bingham will spend tomorrow (Tuesday) and Wednesday visiting key city sites connected to the development proposals including Clifford's Tower, the Castle Car Park and Piccadilly.

He will also be visiting out-of-town shopping centres at Clifton Moor, Monks Cross and the Designer Outlet at Naburn.

Following the two sets of site visits this week Mr Bingham will continue to hear evidence for the Coppergate II application on Thursday and Friday.

The inquiry was originally scheduled for three weeks but with the timetable over-running following intensive cross-examination it is having to be adjourned on Friday and resumed at a future date.

Susan Heywood, the council's principal development control officer, said, "I don't think anyone could have anticipated the timetable going beyond four weeks but we are now all having to go away, look at our diaries, investigate the availability of venues - if the Guildhall is unavailable - and work to ensure that the inquiry can be resumed as soon as practically possible." Mr Bingham has been appointed by the Government to lead the inquiry into the proposals which were backed by the council's planning committee in November 2000.

The application, from Land Securities, is for a mixed retail, residential, office and leisure scheme on land encompassing the Castle Car Park and parts of Piccadilly. The inquiry will also look at an appeal by the York Tomorrow group whose alternative application to turn the Castle Car Park into a public park was turned down at the same meeting in 2000.

The associated Conservation Area Consent application to demolish various unlisted buildings - including Ryedale House - to enable the mixed use development to take place, is also being considered at the inquiry.

As the planning authority the council is having to foot the bill for the inquiry which was originally expected to cost around £110,000.

Ms Heywood said, "Obviously that cost will now rise due to the cost of providing a venue and associated facilities such as amplification systems and to the cost of maintaining legal representation. However, a significant part of the costs were spent on preparation of evidence for the inquiry which, of course, is a non-recurring cost."

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