City centre delivery hub plan for York

A new city centre delivery hub, shuttle service for people with mobility issues and two “gold standard” car parks for disabled visitors could be created by City of York Council.

As we reported yesterday, some streets pedestrianised under emergency coronavirus rules could be made permanently traffic-free.

This would create challenges for deliveries to shops and businesses in the city. So the council is pledging to “accelerate feasibility work to explore a city delivery hub models for all businesses”.

The council is also looking at ways to ease the significant challenges the closure of these streets have caused for some disabled people.

It will spend up to £40,000 carrying out research into plans for the delivery hub, a city centre shuttle service, and current Shopmobility services.

It will consider which two car parks are best suited to disabled visitors – with plans to improve the sites by creating more blue badge spaces and better routes to the city centre.

A complete review of city centre parking is due to be completed by next summer.

“In response to the engagement with the disabled people, advocacy groups and businesses affected by the revised footstreets, and the recommendations in the independent review of York’s access offer, a number of proposed measures have been identified to accompany the permanent footstreet changes proposed … which will aim to improve city centre accessibility,” says a council report.

The issue will be discussed at an executive meeting of senior councillors on Thursday.

You can read the report here.