Consultants have come up with ten bold ideas to regenerate Acomb Front Street – but there is not yet the funding to implement them, City of York councillors have been told.
Plans to improve York’s ‘secondary shopping areas’ have been in the pipeline since 2017, when the then joint Liberal Democrat and Conservative administration pledged to find ways to boost economic growth in the area.
A budget of £100,000 was split between Front Street and The Village in Haxby.
Nearly all of Acomb’s £50,000 has been spent, but Labour have criticised the council over what they see as lack of progress and ambition.
Deputy leader Cllr Claire Douglas said: “I along with the many businesses and local people who operate from or use Acomb Front Street cannot emphasise enough how frustrated we are with the lack of progress on this project.
“Five years later and very little has been achieved other than initial untested ideas and Christmas lights. The reason given for the extensive delays being Covid is ridiculous.”
This is the spend so far:
- Engagement and Consultant Report: £20,630
- Christmas Lights 2018-2021: £16,560
- Acomb Music and Dance Festival: £5,000
- Street scene works by council blacksmiths: £1,024
- Flower tubs: £350
- Recycling area improvements: £4,500
- Acomb Alive: £1,200
- Total spend £49,264
Labour group leader Cllr Pete Kilbane said people were “aghast” at the money spent on consultants for the project.
“And they tell me lots of things that could be happening that they’d like to see happening that cost next to nothing and could easily be tried out,” he added.
Money not identified
Cllr Nigel Ayre, executive member for finance and performance, acknowledged there had been delays but said improvements had been made with the cash at hand, including on the Christmas lights, Acomb Music and Dance Festival and on flower tubs.
Bigger projects would need much more money that has not yet been identified, Cllr Ayre said.
“It is important to note that we’re looking to make meaningful change, not just little token gestures that look good on people’s election leaflets,” he added.
Around £7,000 of remaining money will be spent on a Front Street welcome sign, painting murals and new wayfinding signage, a council report states.
Consultants PWP Design were appointed by the council and began work on a ‘Future of Acomb Front Street’ project in March 2021.
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More than 1,200 people took part in a survey exercise, with many differing opinions expressed about how best to improve the area.
The resulting report identifies ten ‘emerging project ideas’ for Front Street, including replacing the road through the precinct with a park, enabling businesses to take over outdoor space and transforming the Morrisons ramp space into a landscape feature.
The council’s director of economy, regeneration and housing, Tracey Carter, said: “However, there isn’t at the moment a capital budget to be able to deliver on those and many of the ideas are actually for businesses themselves to take forwards, as much as the area that is covered by this is actually owned by the shop owners or Morrisons.”