The same number of people that we saw in the news recently doing the now famous Icelandic Clap - 10,000 as well as 62 local businesses, an amount that's now equal to 14% of the electorate in Chester, have signed our petition to Cheshire West and Cheshire Council in the past 15 days. The petition asks CWAC Councillors NOT to vote to hand the land on top of the unexcavated part of Britain's Biggest Amphitheatre, here in Chester, to developers for the next 150 years, claiming that "it would be the greatest missed opportunity that the City of Chester has ever witnessed and it would have occurred on their watch". The petition explains that by developing the land above the amphitheatre, including Dee House, the amphitheatre beneath would become landlocked until the year 2166, whilst aknowledging that the owners of the amphitheatre below want to wait until further improvements in archaeological technology have occurred, before any excavation work can begin, the 10,000 signees and 62 business leaders all agree that this is likely to occur decades before 2166, with Chester Archaeological Society (CAS) also revealing this week that they would want a review of the site in just 25 years time, not in 150 years as the council is proposing. The petition goes on to state that an uncovered amphitheatre could become a No.1 tourist attraction and the jewel in the city's crown. Many have suggested that the amphitheatre should be rebuilt where possible to show what it once looked like. FINDING A MIDDLE GROUND Over the past two weeks almost all parties involved, except CWAC Council themselves, have agreed that Dee House should become a new museum for the city, with the #DigUpDeva Campaign suggesting that it could become a JORVIK style museum, with possible funding from those who fund York's Jorvik Visitors Centre, such as the Lottery Commission amongst others, which could one day dig down to uncover the ruins beneath once and for all, if Dee House can't be de-listed and moved or demolished. Jorvik recently welcomed its 18 millionth visitor through it's doors in York, since it opened in 1984, that's an unbelievable 562,500 visitors per year! The next step in this process will occur on September the 8th, when a panel of CWAC Councillors will decide whether or not to allow the public a period of public consultation or whether the deal with the undisclosed developer will simply be granted regardless of the huge public outcry. We are calling on all those supporting our campaign to Facebook, tweet, email or telephone your local CWAC Counsellor to express your views, and ask them to represent you when voting whether to allow a period of public consultation or not on the 8th of September, you can find your representatives contact details here: http://cmttpublic.cheshirewestandchester.gov.uk/mgMemberIndex.aspx?