A £1.7m project to improve a stretch of path by York’s River Ouse to help reduce closures related to flooding has taken a step forward.
Designs are to be drawn up for the project, which includes raising the path between Jubilee Terrace and Scarborough Bridge, before works begin.
City of York Council transport lead Cllr Kate Ravilious said she hoped the improvements would encourage more people to use the route on top of the roughly 2,500-a-day who already do.
But St Barnabas Church Vicar Paul Millard said a related decision to put double yellow lines in Jubilee Terrace would remove parking for visitors including weddings and funeral guests.
It follows engagement with residents and path users which received more than 1,000 responses on designs for the project drawn up in December 2022.
Active Travel England awarded funding worth £1.1m in May 2023, but the project has since been scaled back from an original scheme costing more than £1.9m due to financial constraints.
The revised scheme will see the stretch of path set to be resurfaced reduced by half and it will be raised by 25cm, along with new lighting and widening works.
Tuesday’s decision was welcomed by Labour Holgate ward councillor Lucy Steels-Walshaw who said the improvements were vital given the closure of Leeman Road for maintenance works.
Cllr Steels-Walshaw said: “This will reduce the number of days the paths is unusable due to flooding, this will be welcomed by people travelling to town and young people going to school.”
Robyn Jankel, of the York Cycling Campaign, said the route was set to become all the more important given the upcoming National Railway Museum expansion and the York Central development.
She added any further delays to the scheme could affect the council’s ability to get grants from Active Travel England in the future.
Parking concerns
But Mr Millard said introducing parking restrictions on Jubilee Terrace would cause problems for St Barnarbas’ Church which was the only community space in the area.
The vicar said: “We want to do more in the community but strict parking regulations will make this challenging.
“It will add stress for relatives coming to the church for funerals at a time when they are already grieving.”
The meeting heard the nearest alternative parking was around 150m away.
But a council report stated some residents were concerned restrictions on Jubilee Terrace would push parking out to other streets in the Leeman Road area.
Transport executive member Cllr Ravilious said loading and unloading and vehicles stopping for weddings and funerals would still be allowed in Jubilee Terrace even with the restrictions.
She added concerns related to the church and the loss of eight parking spaces had to be balanced with the needs of people using the path.
The Labour executive member said: “This isn’t just about the 2,500 people a day who already use the path each day, it’s about creating a scheme which more people can use for all kinds of different reasons.”