The decision to reduce the footstreet hours in York has left businesses and disability campaigners equally unhappy.
On Thursday evening, members of City of York Council’s ruling executive decided to revert the city’s pedestrian hours back from 7pm to 5pm for the time being.
Many had spoken up against the plan at the start of the meeting. So the decision to go ahead has left a feeling of bewilderment.
Here is what they said.
‘Baffling and unwanted’
Andrew Lowson, executive director of the York BID (Business Improvement District) said: “I find the council executive’s decision to let traffic back into the city foot-streets at 5pm baffling.
“No groups I speak to want this; not businesses, not access campaigners, not the political opposition.
“It demonstrates to me a lack of understanding of how the city’s economy is operating and bizarrely goes against council strategies that promote traffic calming and developing the early evening economy.”
The executive says the decision isn’t permanent and more consultation will follow – much to Andrew’s consternation.
“Many business groups have been telling the council over the past two years that 7pm works and the city has consequently adapted. So why take a step backwards to talk more about it?
“Businesses simply do not know where they stand and all this is done during a time when businesses are facing increasing cost pressures. It is hugely disappointing.”
He added: “The decisions of Thursday night will effect different businesses in different ways. As a BID we will try and understand the ramifications in the coming weeks and look to communicate with businesses as we head towards the changes that will take place end of September.”
‘Pleasing no one’
Disability campaigner Flick Williams told YorkMix: “The council is masterful in its ability to unite very disparate groups with different interests against them.
“Thursday night’s meeting was a masterclass in how to please none of the people, pretty much all of the time.”
She told the meeting that the footstreet changes were “a recipe for chaos and confusion that nobody wants.
“Just last week the paper that went to climate scrutiny listed closure of the footstreets as a mechanism for carbon reduction. Nothing you do makes any sense at all and I have stopped trying to make it make sense, because down that route lies insanity.”
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‘Detrimental to business’
Labour group leader Claire Douglas said after the meeting: “The fact that ruling Lib Dem-Green councillors voted through changes to the footstreet hours that don’t solve the Blue Badge Ban in the city centre and are at the same time detrimental to the viability of some city centre businesses is a backwards and damaging step.
“Both the disabled and business communities believe there is a solution that can accommodate both. The Labour Group of councillors couldn’t agree more and don’t support the original ban, nor the changes agreed.”
‘Making decisions in the right order’
But Cllr Ashley Mason, executive member for economy and strategic planning, said: “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 long term reality without some further work.
“Whilst the pandemic and the emergency measures under which the city and businesses operated might be over, businesses clearly still face serious challenges. However, as we leave the pandemic and look towards the future, we have to take account of what has worked and what hasn’t during these exceptional times.
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“It’s very clear that there have been access issues caused by pavement cafes, which will be addressed through the new local guidance.
“7pm is not just about pavement cafes, it’s very much about supporting a thriving and family focused evening economy, but clearly the operating hours of the footstreets are directly linked to the operation of café licences, which are the most obvious beneficiary of extended operating times.
“In order to support café culture and the evening economy in the long term, we have to make sure it works for the benefit for both businesses as well as residents. We must make decisions in the right order – addressing immediate access concerns first whilst progressing the delivery of access improvements, to then be in a position to consider the long term footstreet operating hours.
“There’s more work to be done to support the creation of a safe, thriving and accessible city centre. We must get on with this work for the benefit of businesses, residents and visitors alike.”