One of Britain’s top retail experts has delivered some eye-opening advice on how to keep York city centre thriving in the coming years.
Bill Grimsey, the former MD of retail chains including Wickes and Iceland, is also the author of The Grimsey Review, an acclaimed report on the state of the High Street.
He was invited to talk to an audience of York business leaders, politicians and others at an event organised by founder of Indie York Johnny Hayes, and sponsored by York High Street Forum and York Cycling Campaign.
And he didn’t hold back.
One of his themes was the need for town and city centres to move towards being carbon neutral, people-friendly places not dominated by the car.
He welcomed York’s plans for the area around Clifford’s Tower, replacing the Castle car park with public space.
But he was scathing about the proposal to build a multi-storey car park at St George’s Field.
“You need a holistic transport strategy that is centred around the whole vision for York in the 21st century to compete with other cities in for people to come, work, play and visit,” he said.
“I don’t know whether or not you’ve got enough car parks because I’m just an outsider, but I know this. I would not build a multi-storey car park that close to that river on that site – I think it’s absolutely bonkers.”
Mr Grimsey was much more positive about plans to redevelop Coney Street. He had been shown around by Max Reeves of the Helmsley Group, who briefed him on the company’s plans to regenerate the street and give greater access to the riverside.
But he thought they could be bolder still. “That’s a fantastic example of how to get change happening,” he said.
“And I’m sure the council are working with you to bring about the right sort of change.
“I did say to him outside Boots, you’ve bought this now, what you need to do is take Boots out – blow it up.
“Open up the river to Coney Street, and you will see Coney Street take off as a consequence.”
He also said that to develop a city fit for the 21st century required leadership – which meant a dynamic and visionary chief executive of the council.
“The reason we’ve got, in our councils up and down the country, poor leadership in terms of officers, is because we’ve allowed the bias to be with the elected people who are only there for five years, and they got to try again.”
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He said the city centre needed a mixed offer: “Not just coffee shop after coffee shop, or bar after bar.
“The Shambles has got a mix. I walked down it today and I was just gobsmacked at the ghost shop – it’s a great thing!”
Mr Grimsey was also a big fan of York’s box park. “I love Spark! I think that does enhance York. There’s a young community of business people that are what I call being incubated and they will grow.”
York should do all it could to keep Spark, he added.
He said: “Think about the future, how you’re going to leave a legacy for York people, for your offspring, that you’re proud of. And that means climate change as a big part of it.”
Mr Grimsey said York’s approach to the climate emergency was “good – in the top ten”. But it was “missing this issue of how you become carbon zero by 2030.
“That’s not a strategy. It’s just an objective. Is the ‘how’ that’s the strategy – and that needs to be based on a holistic approach.”