York city walls could be lit up in different colours at night

We could soon see the city walls in a whole new light.

Plans to upgrade the ancient fortifications include replacing the old floodlights with a new LED lighting system.

And that opens a new world of colourful possibilities.

A report to councillors states:

• A plan has been developed to upgrade the existing Bar Walls floodlighting system to a sustainable and sympathetic, LED colour changing system.

  The proposed floodlighting system is bespoke and will be designed to complement to architectural and historic significances of the walls.

  The colour-changing nature of the system means that the Bar Walls could be lit in particular colours to celebrate or commemorate historic events or important days.
  

Investing millions

Under its budget plans, City of York Council intends to invest £1.464 million over the next four years in a bar walls restoration programme.

Among the other aims of the scheme are to:

• restore the system of locks on the city walls
• trial systems of pest management in the bars
• restore the historic decorative schemes of the armorials and
  heraldry at the bars
• and update the signage along the walls.

A second part of the restoration programme – put at £1.7 million over four years “would fund investigation works to understand the deterioration of stonework at Station Avenue Arch (road arch eastbound) and to develop and deliver a programme of repairs and restoration”.

This stretch of walls was closed earlier this month to investigate an area where the 1960s cladding is flaking away.

The council report says:

• There is potential for the steelwork built within the arch to be corroding, causing an unsafe structure.
  

This plan is part of a financial strategy which is due to go before the council executive on 13 February.