People are set to be asked to donate towards the upkeep of the York city walls.
City of York Council is proposing to install donation points on the walls where the public could give money.
The project aims to “reduce the burden on CYC’s capital budget by generating income to support the conservation of the city walls,” a council report says.
It adds that the donations “will ensure the city walls (and other heritage assets dependent on the income raised) will be protected without impacting on the council’s budget”.
If the project is “more successful than anticipated” the extra cash could be invested on improvements.
The risk is that the project doesn’t raise enough money to cover the £5,000 cost of the trial scheme.
Similar initiatives have previously been tried with limited success. This time the council has consulted the Diocese of York.
Following these discussions, “we are confident that a multiplatform approach is correct,” the report says.
“Eighty per cent of donations raised by the Diocese is through tap donations, however individual donation amounts through web-based donations is on average four times higher.
“We are therefore proposing to use both ‘tap to donate’ points based on the 4G network at set locations on the city walls, with the first location being Bootham Bar, as well as a website based donation platform.”
The initiative would create an interpretation space at Bootham Bar to “engage visitors with the history and conservation of the walls”.
The council is a key guardian of the city’s heritage, the report says, adding: “The city walls are the most significant of its heritage assets, with nearly 2,000 years of history contained in the monument.
“Since being saved in the 1830s by the residents of York they remain an integral part of York’s identity and proud symbol for the city.”
The council’s ancient monuments team are responsible for both the basic maintenance of the walls and larger restoration projects. “These works are currently exclusively funded through capital borrowing,” the council says.
The donation plan will be considered at a decision session by the executive member for economy and culture next Tuesday, 25 March.