a) In Blake Street and Lendal, which will be accessible for Blue Badge holders during and outside the footstreet hours (between 10.30am and 6am the next day), and
b) On Davygate outside of footstreet hours (between 5pm and 6am the next day).
The trial is expected to cost around £10,000.
Critics have pointed out that the plan will prevent City Centre traders from loading in the evening period while some blue badge holders feel that the first come first served system will block the bays at times when others, with more pressing needs, want to park.
The final stages of work to protect the city centre will resume at Blake Street and Parliament Street from 8 January 2024.
Blake Street
Blake Street will be closed to all traffic for up to eight weeks. Alternative access for vehicles will be via Goodramgate and Spurriergate (access is also available via High Petergate). Access to businesses and properties will remain open and the footways will be alternately closed on each side of Blake Street in two phases.
The junction of Parliament Street and High Ousegate will also close to traffic as sliding bollards are installed alongside the fixed bollards already fitted. Alternative access will be via Goodramgate. Access on the footways will be largely unaffected.
Staff will be on-site during the peak morning delivery period to help with access for deliveries. The contractor’s public liaison officer is visiting all businesses to discuss their access needs and will follow this up with further contact the week before work starts.
On 3 January, the temporary barriers in place during the Christmas markets are due to be removed.
On 4 January, Blue Badge holders will be able to use the new, staffed sliding barriers at the junction of Goodramgate with Deangate during the regular footstreet hours of 10.30am to 5.00pm.
The limited access plan didn’t seem to be working flawlessly today. There were staff at each entry/exit point where the moving bollard work had been completed but in at least one case an emergency (police) vehicle was unable to gain access This was at the Spurriergate entry point where remedial surfacing work was still taking place.
It seems that the entry points are being staffed because the central control room, from which the barriers can be remotely operated, is not yet operational. It is unclear how much this interim management process is costing the Council.
The new Christmas Market was proving to be popular today. Extra space for pedestrians has been provided on Parliament Street. This is easing circulation problems. (There would have been no parking spaces available had blue badge access been possible. There were simply too many pedestrians and wheelers around). There will probably be even more people visiting over the weekend.
Traffic congestion levels in the City varied today. There has been less congestion (so far) on Tadcaster Road while Lendal bridge was clear. However access to, and around, the railway station is chaotic at times as a result of work on the Queen Street bridge and adjacent car park which is hindering both vehicle and taxi access.. .
Earlier
Work installing permanent protection measures in the city centre will be paused for the busy Christmas period.
At the same time, 3 sets of temporary safety measures were put in place this week to protect residents and visitors enjoying York’s busy festive period.
Temporary hostile vehicle measures have been installed this week where work to install the last remaining permanent bollards against hostile vehicles is still to be completed. The temporary barriers are to protect the city’s busiest areas as part of a raft of measures to counter the terrorist threat which remains ‘substantial’. These wider measures include running emergency exercises and training events, and deploying emergency grab bags to help protect visitors, workers, businesses and residents in central York.
The temporary measures will operate from 16 November to 22 December at:
Blake Street
Colliergate
The junction of Parliament Street, Pavement and High Ousegate
These and the permanent measures will be staffed from Monday to Sunday from 10.00am to 7.00pm when vehicular access is not permitted. From 22 December, the regular footstreet hours will revert to 10.30am to 5.00pm. The temporary barriers are due to be removed on 3rd January 2024.
Temporary barriers will be needed here at this busy and economically important time of year. Like the permanent measures, the temporary barriers will, as usual, allow mobility scooters, wheelchairs and pedestrians through, assisted by temporary dropped kerbs. Deliveries by foot and hand carts to support businesses can also be made through the temporary and permanent measures.
After 4th January, Blue Badge holders will be able to use the new, staffed sliding barriers at the junctions of Goodramgate and Deangate during the regular footstreet hours of 10.30am to 5.00pm”
Exit arrangements have yet to be confirmed,.
It is unclear what advice, if any, the Council will be giving drivers to avoid the inevitable conflicts with pedestrian movements.
A voluntary speed limit (walking pace) should at least be in place.
Meanwhile there is large scale congestion on York roads this week. This is partly the result of ill judged traffic management trials plus uncordinated road works while several improvement schemes which are running behind schedule. Some bus services are running up to 40 minutes later than timetabled
City centre streets have been particularly busy over the half-term holidays. Although this is good news for the local economy, some conflicts have reemerged for the first time since the end of the pandemic.
Davygate
The Council has said that the road works on Petergate and Lendal will extend now for another 2 or 3 weeks.
The access path on Petergate remains single file only and is inaccessible for some types of wheelchair.
That is disappointing
Elsewhere cycle parking spaces have been at a premium. The need for better facilities has been generally accepted for some years now but a solution remains illusive.
But the elephant in the room remains the election promise of some new Labour Councillors who want to allow vehicular access, (Blue Badge holders) into some footstreets.
Other streets, including St Sampsons Square, Coney Street and Davygate, were already part of the core foot street zone by 2019.
Irrespective of any views that might be held onterrorist threat levels, the simple fact is that many streets, including Davygate and Church Street, are now so crowded with pedestrians that any vehicle movement represents a hazard. The most vulnerable are young children and, ironically, those using mobility aids.
We doubt that there is a compromise that will suit everyone. However, a system which requires a kerbside parking space to be booked in advance, would at least control the number of vehicles “touring” the pedestrian area in search of a vacant space.
Selective consultation on cycle barrier design also starting
Last week the York Council promised that an online consultation would be available when the options for a new City centre “bus shuttle” were announced. The options were on display at a City centre hotel yesterday, but there is still no opportuntiy for reactions to be recorded on the Councils consultation page https://www.york.gov.uk/consultations
If the details being reported in the media are correct, then the offered service is little different from the existing dial and ride service which also serves the footstreet area (it enjoys an exemption from the traffic ban) See https://www.yorkwheels.org.uk/dial-and-ride-service-in-york/
According to the media the following routes are being considered (no maps have been published).
*From Bootham car park to Coppergate, providing access to Coney Street, Lendal, Blake Street, Davygate, Parliament Street and High Ousegate. Issues to be addressed include a height restriction at Bootham Bar and a ‘no right turn’ restriction at the end of Lendal, which would need changing to permit buses to turn.
*From Nunnery Lane car park to York station and footstreets, providing access to High Ousegate, Coney Street, Lendal, Blake Street, Davygate and Parliament Street. Issues to be addressed include a height restriction at Nunnery Lane car park which may need to be removed, possible changes to the car park layout to allow buses to turn and a restriction in Museum Street which would need to change to allow buses to turn into Blake Street.
*From Monk Bar to footstreets, providing access to Goodramgate, Colliergate, High Ousegate, Coney Street, Lendal, Museum Street, Blake Street, Davygate and Parliament Street. Issues to be addressed include restrictions at the end of Lendal and on Museum Street which would need to be changed to permit buses to turn.
Few people expected the bus to run down Coney Street which is sometimes packed with pedestrians. There is slightly more space to play with on Parliament Street but numerous safety issues will need be to be addressed before any decisions are made.
The Geco microbus is compact with a small turning circle, is only 1.2 metres wide compared to 1.8 metres for the averge car, and has an electric motor, a rear automatic ramp or manual side ramp and a capacity of four passengers plus one wheelchair.
It seems that the solution being debated seeks to address the needs of wheelchair users who may drive to a City centre car park. Some then, since the blue badge access ban was intrroduced, find the next stage of their journey to city centre amenities awkward
No costs for the service have been given.. Many had anticipated that one option would have been to replace the current “road train” which links the Railway Museum with York Minster. Its replacement with an electric version might have satisfied more than one need.
Discussion on ways of providing a benign transport option for the central area actually date back over 20 years. It was mentioned in the last transport plan for the City which was approved in 2010. However times and technology have moved on.Improvements are possible but they are perhaps not included as one of the options being tested at the Hilton hotel today.
Cycle barriers
Many cycle barriers in York are poorly maintained, are overgrown by weeds and need a coat of paint
Another consultation exercise is going on about the future of the 800 or so cycle barriers which protect pedestrian routes in the City.
Contractors, acting on behalf of the Council, say that they are trying to get local residents groups to engage with a series of “stakeholder meetings”.
The consultants (“Transport Initiaitives” ) say “The desired outcome of this work is to develop a policy to address barrier sites across the city and bring them into line with current legislation and/or design guidance”.
Many residents will be sceptical about this approach.
It presupposes that revised barrier design is a priority for the majority of taxpayers in the City.
We doubt this.
Rather the Councils resources should first be directed to repairing the surfaces of paths and roads many of which represent a particular risk for both pedestrians and cyclists.
Sadly the width of many paths is now also very limited. This is the result of the poor maintenance of adjacent grassed areas, hedges and trees. Many are overgrown and – in summer- some are impassable.
There is a quick win available here for the Council if they get their maintenance rotas sorted out.
Residents and visitors are encouraged to join City of York Council at a drop-in event to find out more about proposals for a new city centre shuttle bus service.
The event takes place during the York Residents’ Festival weekend, on Saturday (28) and Sunday (29) January, between 11am and 4pm at Hilton Hotel, 1 Tower Street, York, Y01 9WD.
During the event, officers will be on hand to talk through the bus shuttle service proposals, including the possible routes and the types of vehicles which could be used.
It is hoped that some of the buses which could be used for the shuttle service, in both footstreets and the wider highway network, will be available to view during the exhibition days.
The proposal to introduce a shuttle service was initially identified in the York City Centre Active Travel Access Study (October 2021).
The report outlined the impacts of removing the footstreets exemption that had allowed Blue Badge holders access to footstreets.
It also suggested the council should explore options for a city centre bus shuttle service, alongside the other measures such as benches, changes to pavement café licences etc which are being progressed already.
The council has explored some of the shuttle bus options and this exhibition provides an overview of them.
There are many potential options for a bus shuttle route through the footstreets of York. The aims that were considered when drawing up these options were:
Providing access to footstreets: The service should enable users to get to as many of the places they need to go within the footstreets as possible
Linking footstreets to car parking: The service must provide a link between the footstreets and Blue Badge parking bays outside of the footstreets, including on-street and off-street bays
Linking footstreets to public transport stops and stations: The service would ideally link to the railway station and key bus stops including Park and Ride stops
User friendly: The route should be easy to understand
A frequent, cost-effective service: The bus should run frequently so users don’t have to wait a long time for it. The service should also be affordable in the long-term
The council has commissioned an external consultancy called Steer to develop the options and will use the feedback during the event and consultation as part of these further proposals.
Anyone unable to attend the drop-in session will also be able to complete the consultation and provide feedback here (click)
Safety measures are set to be implemented in the city centre to protect residents and visitors who will enjoy the city centre over the busy Christmas period.
We continue to believe that arrangements should be made to issue permits to allow access for people with a disability, which prevents them from walking more than a short distance. This would be coupled to photo IDs and a system where a kerbside parking space could be reserved in advance.
Museum shuttle
It is disappointing that the promised shuttle service through the City centre has not yet materialised nor that mobility scooter hire options are not better advertised.
Some of the issues are discussed in a Council report published today click
The Councils plans, which will see temporary hostile vehicle measures installed to protect the city’s busiest areas, follow consultations between Counter Terrorism Police, North Yorkshire Police, Make It York and City of York Council. Cities including Bath, Leeds, Chester and Sheffield are, like York, working with their local police and counter terrorism security advisors to protect high footfall areas.
Temporary and permanent barriers form part of a raft of measures to counter the substantial terrorist threat. This also includes emergency exercises on possible terrorist scenarios, with partners including Make It York, as well as ongoing training events throughout the city to address the threat of terrorism and safeguard visitors and residents.
The temporary security barriers will allow the movement of mobility scooters, wheelchairs and pedestrians through, as well as deliveries by foot and hand carts to support businesses at this economically important and busy time of year.
Make It York is co-ordinating the installation of the temporary barriers at entrances to the footstreet area from 16 November 2022. They are also arranging them to be staffed daily (Monday-Sunday) from 10am to 7pm for the duration of the Christmas Market from 17 November to 23 December.
To support people and businesses in the run-up to and during Make It York’s Christmas market, as is done every year, access for vehicles to the foot streets will be permitted before 10:30am and after 7pm from 17 November until 23 December. Outside this period, the regular footstreet hours will revert to 10.30am to 5pm.
The locations and installation dates for temporary counter terrorism barriers have been shared with disability access groups, city centre residents and businesses. Work has also taken place in the run up to the festive period to address access issues raised during the operation of the measures last year. This includes the installation of additional temporary dropped kerbs by the temporary safety barriers.
The temporary barriers will be in operation till 3 January 2023. In the new year, the temporary barriers will be replaced with permanent, sliding and fixed bollards. These will be similar to those installed in cities including Chester and Newcastle to combat the threat of ‘vehicle as weapon attacks’, like those seen in Liverpool, Toronto, London and Nice.
Chief Inspector Chris Brumfitt from North Yorkshire Police, said:
It looks like the Council will approve the permanent installation of anti terrorist barriers in York City centre when they meeting next week.
A row about how access for disabled people might be sustained has rumbled on for over a year but the restrictions – aimed at preventing “drive through” terrorist activities – are now set to be approved. click for details
The price of the barriers has soared and will cost at least £3.4 million.. The Council received only one tender for the project which- if approved – will be constructed between January and March 2023.
Temporary measures will be in place during the Christmas 2022 period.
While we appreciate the pressure that has been put on the Council to exclude potentially threatening vehicles from crowded areas, we think they have got the response wrong. An accreditation system could have allowed approved taxis to transport the severely disabled to points closer to their ultimate destination.
Disabled drivers could also have been offered a personal accreditation system which would have allowed access to the Blake Street loop, with limited kerbside parking reserved using an electronic systems.
The Council have also been slow to even trial, much less implement, the agreed public transit system which will run through the City centre.
The Councils media release reads, “Following Counter Terrorism Police advice, the Council’s Executive will next week decide whether to approve plans to install permanent protection measures in the city centre.
Construction work is expected to be completed in spring 2023.
North Yorkshire Police and Counter Terrorism Police have strongly advised City of York Council that not having proactive measures is “an unacceptable risk”. This advice has been strongly reiterated since 2018, and most recently in a letter from the Counter Terrorism Police expert, who states that “proposals for HVM in York are evidence based and proportionate to the current threat level. They were formulated with the support of specialist teams and will support the longer term safeguarding of the city”*.
In a bid to combat the threat of ‘vehicle as weapon attacks’ like those seen in Toronto, London and Nice, hostile vehicle measures (HVM) in the form of permanent, sliding and fixed bollards will be put in place to protect York’s footstreet area. Counter-terrorism experts identified the most effective locations for these measures, with police advising emergency-only vehicle access, which the council is implementing from October 2022.
York is by no means alone in carrying out this work, with, for example, councils in Bath, Leeds, Chester and Sheffield working with their local police and counter terrorism security advisors to protect high footfall areas. The Government has also laid out proposals for new counter terrorism “Protect Duty” legislation, which will place requirements on councils and venues for counter terrorism protection measures to be implemented in busy footfall areas.
York’s permanent measures will be similar to those already installed at Parliament Street. The sliding bollards will give entry to pre-approved, essential traffic. The council will work with Make It York to ensure people enjoying the busy Christmas 2022 period will be protected by improved temporary measures, first introduced in 2019. Work on the permanent measures at previously agreed locations will begin in January, following the Christmas period, to allow for manufacturers’ lead-in time and for arrangements to be put in place to divert utilities. The work is planned to last until April 2023. Due to the increased cost of construction, steel and concrete, and general inflation in the UK economy, this priority protection requires an additional £1,750k to be allocated. To ensure the measures are delivered to protect the city centre, it is proposed that the increased costs will be met by bringing forward funds from the Highway’s capital programme.
Councillor Andy D’Agorne, Deputy Leader and Executive Member for Transport, said:
By installing a visible deterrent and a physical barrier to hostile vehicles, we are following expert advice which is in line with proposed legislation for local authorities responsible for roads, squares and pedestrianised areas. This new legislation will require Councils across the country to respect terrorist threat levels, assess the risk, and implement protective security and preparedness measures. Due to high levels of footfall in York city centre we, as well as other cities, have been working to ensure protective measures are in place as soon as possible.”
Cllr Keith Aspden, City of York Council’s Leader, added:
With the national threat level currently being substantial, strong and repeated advice to York from police and counter terrorism experts is clear that not having proactive measures in place is an unacceptable risk. Through installing these permanent protection measures, the Council’s duty and priority has to be the safety of everyone.”
Acting Chief Inspector Andrew Godfrey from North Yorkshire Police, said:
It is sadly a fact of life that terrorists can strike at any time and any place without warning, both here in the UK, and around the world. It will always be our absolute priority to keep our city safe and so we welcome the introduction of any security measures that will help us to do that.
“Whilst these new security measures will be permanent, if you live, work or visit our city you’ll continue to see a selection of policing tactics used in the future to keep everyone safe.
“You can play a role too. If you’re suspicious of something that could identify a terrorist threat, report it using our quick and confidential online tool to report possible terrorist activity on our website, or call the Anti-Terrorism Hotline on 0800 789 321.
“Of course, if you suspect an immediate danger, whether it’s suspicious behaviour, a package or a vehicle, move away and call 999 immediately. Any piece of information could be important: it’s better to be safe and report as your information could save a life.”
Wheelchair users who found their access blocked by outdoor restaurant tables in York City centre should find access easier in the future.
The general dispensation, brought in at the height of the COVID pandemic – for cafes to put tables on public footpaths – -ends in September. After that individual licenses will be needed.
The Council also plans to return footstreet hours to 10:30am – 5:00pm.from October.
There had been a lot of criticism on some streets where lack of dropped kerbs meant that wheelchair users could be trapped on footpaths with no easy alternative route.
A media release from the Council reads,
“An update on the delivery of access improvements in the city centre and proposals on the future operation of the outdoor pavement cafes will be discussed by Executive this month.
The temporary fast track system, introduced by the Government, saw the requirement for planning approval to obtain a cafe licence removed. This enabled more businesses to move seating outside, providing a safe option for customers during social distancing restrictions.
Access issues in areas with pavement cafes, particularly where these are located on the footways, have been identified and need to be addressed.
In September this year, the temporary system introduced by Government for pavement cafes will expire, and there remains uncertainty over the long-term legislation, which is unlikely to be enacted soon.
Whilst pavement cafes remain an important part of the city centre economy, especially in light of the longer-term economic impact of Covid and the current cost of living crisis, the current historic infrastructure in the city centre is not ready to accommodate pavement cafes in every location.
Therefore, with temporary arrangements set to expire and permanent arrangements going through the legislative process, a new, more accessible set of guidance for the operation of pavement cafes is proposed.
If approved by the Executive, a consultation will take place to create the new guidance, particularly with local businesses who have pavement cafe licences and disabled residents.
Given the uncertainty over the national regulatory framework and the need to carry out work to implement local more accessible guidance, a consultation on making 7pm the permanent foot street finish time is not appropriate and cannot be based upon facts.
Therefore, until these issues are resolved, the city’s foot streets will revert back to their pre-covid operation times of 10.30 to 5pm from October (excluding the extended 8pm times for the operation of the Christmas market).
The Executive meeting will also see councillors discuss the progress of delivering access improvements in the city centre, including the installation of dropped kerbs and additional Blue Badge parking bays, together with a trial of a shuttle bus and work with Dial and Ride amongst other actions.
In a bid to drive work forward on improving access across the city, Executive will be recommended to appoint an access specialist, as well as invest to co-design a city centre shuttle service and set out a timeline for the installation of more dropped kerbs.
Cllr Ashley Mason, Executive Member for Economy and Strategic Planning, said: “During the early stages of the pandemic, the ability to swiftly award cafe pavement licences enabled many businesses to continue trading during what was an incredibly challenging time. Whilst we recognise the continued importance of these licences to many businesses, it’s clear that there are access issues we need to address.
“We remain committed to the long-term vision of the city centre, with outdoor cafe culture playing a part in the success of our economy, but the current city centre infrastructure is not yet ready for this vision to become a reality. As we enter the post-covid period we must revaluate and take away the lessons learned to support the city centre and businesses in the long term.
“There’s more work to be done to support the promotion of a safe, thriving and accessible city centre. I look forward to discussing the best ways to get on with this work for the benefit of businesses, residents and visitors.”
York News Focus 