Future Christmas markets in York could be spread out to avoid overcrowding following a call from councillors.
And that would also mean disabled people can park in the city centre.
Conservative Cllr Chris Steward said current arrangements meant the Christmas Market had to be crammed into Parliament Street while Labour’s Cllr Jane Burton said overcrowding was becoming dangerous.
City of York Council transport lead Cllr Kate Ravilious said she supported exploring the change so Blue Badge holders could park in the city centre. But she warned it would not be straightforward.
This year’s Christmas Market means Blue Badge holders won’t be able to park in Blake Street and Goodramgate between 14 November and 22 December on safety grounds.
The ban – effective from 10am to 7pm daily – has provoked a backlash.
Cllr Ravilious has said that reversing the suspension at this stage would be too costly and complex because the arrangements had been decided months previously.
But disability rights activist Flick Williams told councillors it meant she and others would see their access to goods and services in the city centre restricted for weeks.
She added the restrictions coupled with the loss of the council’s door-to-door Dial and Ride service last December would mean older disabled people have no way of getting to the city centre.
Ms Williams said: “Loneliness is felt by many and most acutely at this time of year, but this time around there’s no talk of mitigation beyond car parks which are too far away.
“After years of exclusion many disabled people had settled into routines that took them away from York, they’re now been forced to do so again.”
‘Vastly better elsewhere’
Councillors who were reviewing Blue Badge holder access to the city centre on Tuesday, 2 October, heard officials would look at the way the Christmas Market is run in future.
They also heard Make It York made alterations to its layout last year in response to concerns about overcrowding in 2022.
Conservative Cllr Steward, of Copmanthorpe, said spreading the market out to help with the issue of Blue Badge access and overcrowding had previously been too readily dismissed.
Cllr Steward said: “I’ve been to other cities where their markets have been spread out and it’s vastly better than York’s which is all crammed into one place.
“We have all these areas like Micklegate, the Castlegate Car Park and North Street Gardens that are not used for anything at all, you could have lots of stalls there.
“We’ve got a crazy situation with a complication with the Blue Badge holders and despite that we’re still wedded to ramming everything into Parliament Street.”
Micklegate ward’s Cllr Burton said the amount of footfall at the Christmas Market also raised safety concerns for her.
The Labour councillor said: “It’s dangerous, if someone fell in the middle of those crowds it would be a stampede, and it’s all for the sake of making money.”
Cllr Ravilious said she was in favour of looking into the changes but there could be difficulties in moving parts of the market outside areas where vehicles are restricted.
The transport executive member said: “We’re absolutely committed to Blue Badge access and I have every desire to spread the market out so it’s not as concentrated.
“But there will then be a different kind of terrorism risk associated with having the market outside of hostile vehicle measures.
“It isn’t going to be simple to just spread it out because the whole point of having hostile vehicle measures to keep people safe.
“I’m not saying it’s impossible. I’m just adding in the note of caution about we can’t just suddenly say, well, we’ll expand the Christmas market.”