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Decision Session – Executive Member for Transport |
22 June 2021
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Report of the Corporate Director of Economy and Place Directorate |
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Removal of specified exemptions for city centre access during the Pedestrian Hours – request to undertake Statutory Consultation
Summary
Recommendation
2. The Executive Member is asked to approve the request to advertise the proposal to amend the Traffic Regulation Order, to remove the exemptions on vehicles with a Blue Disabled User Badge from permitted access to the footstreets during the pedestrian hours, as set out in the report.
Removal of this exemption would apply to the streets and lengths of streets listed below. These are discussed in more detail in the report.
Blue Badge Access
Blake Street
Castlegate
Church Street
Colliergate
Goodramgate (between Deangate and King’s Square)
King’s Square
St Helen’s Square
Lendal
Reason: To increase public safety in areas of high footfall and reduce the level of conflict between vehicles and pedestrians, particularly in busy periods.
3. Additionally, The Executive Member is recommended to approve the advertisement of new Blue Badge parking areas on the outskirts of the pedestrian area and approve further investigation into some additional areas.
Reason: To provide an improved level of Blue Badge parking and increase the availability of Blue Badge parking amenity.
Background
4. There are several issues that have over a period of time shaped the nature of York’s pedestrianised area and discussions on their future. York’s current permanent footstreet areas were introduced in the 1980s. Traditionally the footstreet hours have run from 10.30am to 5pm, although in recent years the hours have been extended on a temporary basis until 6pm Sunday – Wednesday and 8:00pm Thursday – Saturday during the festive period to accommodate the large numbers of people visiting the city at that time. The Council response to the Covid-19 restrictions and social distancing requirements to help aid the Economic recovery of the city extended the footstreets till 8pm Monday to Sunday on a temporary basis.
5. The conflict between pedestrians and vehicle movement on some of the footstreets has been an ongoing concern for a number of years. Although, access to the streets listed above is restricted to Blue Badge holders only during the footstreet hours under the current permanent TRO, this has been difficult to enforce in practice. Without physical barriers, the access restriction can only be enforced by the Police. This has led to numerous vehicles ignoring the restrictions over the years, including for access and delivery to businesses on those streets and in the wider pedestrianised area. The temporary removal of Blue Badge access exemptions has enabled the use of bollards and barriers at the closure points. Although there are still some vehicles entering the area without authorisation, this has reduced dramatically in the past months, under the temporary arrangements.
6. The extent of the footstreet areas has been subject to ongoing discussions for a number of years as part of the City Centre Access project in response to the threat of terrorism, and particularly the use of hostile vehicles as a potential mode of attack. This had led to the approval of a first phase of anti-hostile vehicle measures within some of the higher footfall areas, within the footstreet area (which was only partly implemented prior to interruption by Covid 19), but with potential future phases to expand the area of protection (which would align more closely with the area now covered by the temporary removal of the Blue Badge exemption on vehicles travelling along the streets covered within this report.
Proposals, Responses and Analysis
Introduction
7. Since the emergency temporary removal of the exemption on Blue Disabled User Badge access to the streets covered within this report in June 2020 wide ranging engagement has been undertaken with a range of individuals and organisations affected by the changes to help understand the impact and potential for suitable mitigation measures.
Proposed Removal of Exemption for Blue Badge Holders
8. The removal of the exemption to allow vehicles with a blue badge to access Blake Street, St Helen’s Square, Lendal, Goodramgate (between Deangate and King’s Square), Church Street, Kings Square, Colliergate and Castlegate. This would help to reduce the number of vehicle movements and potential conflict of movements between vehicles and pedestrians in the said streets. For blue badge holders who regularly access the city centre by vehicle, the measures in effect will remove the ability to drive in the footstreet area and park on double yellow lines in the streets mentioned above between the hours of 10:30 and 5pm each day.
9. The temporary restrictions currently in place helped to initiate an engagement with those affected by the proposed changes. The purpose of the engagement was to understand the impact on those affected as individuals and to try improve the mitigations to meet people’s needs; understand what further mitigations should be included should any of the temporary measures become permanent; and understand how York can continue to improve its overall disabled access offer whilst also improving safety and security within the central core area of the city centre.
10. The engagement followed an open conversation approach, both online and offline, including direct conversations with individuals and advocacy groups and an open invite zoom workshop which was jointly facilitated by the York Disability Rights Forum. This allowed detailed discussions to take place with those who wished to engage in depth, and captured general views through Our Big Conversation with online surveys, targeted emails to city centre businesses, and paper based questionnaires distributed across the city as part of Our City. In addition, Disabled Motoring UK, a charity and advocacy group for disabled people, were commissioned to produce an independent review of York’s disabled access offer (Annex A).
11. In total there were 1,900 responses, whilst detailed work with Blue Badge Holders and disabled groups engaged with 421 people, including the advocacy groups that represent thousands of members. Overall there was broad support for the removal of exemptions on vehicles in the footstreets, with 67% overall in favour and 61% of respondents who identified as having a disability also in favour. The issues that sit behind these figures were drawn out in detail in an open brief that set out all the in depth discussions that have taken place and was published online and refined based on public feedback.
12. The principles of the footstreets extension are broadly supported by a majority of respondents to the citywide survey, which is also reflected in the support from residents identifying as disabled.
13. In the follow-up survey targeting disabled residents, twice as many respondents (168) agreed rather than disagreed (81) that extra room increased their safety, while more (151) agreed that fewer vehicles increases their safety than disagreed (115).
14. There are tangible benefits for many, in particular blind and partially sighted and older people. However, the desire from many for footstreets and spaces to be vehicle free, while some Blue Badge holders request access to the otherwise pedestrianised roads, appear incompatible.
15. The streets listed above are all high footfall areas with narrow pavements that lead to significant conflict between vehicles and pedestrians, particularly in busy periods. The large volumes of people who use these streets and narrow pavements often result in people using the full width of the carriageway to walk, and any vehicle that enters the area has to navigate through the crowds, with a risk of accidents occurring. The proposed change also removes parked vehicles from the historically important St Helen’s Square and King’s Square which often attract crowds eating/drinking in pavement cafes and watching buskers perform.
16. It was also the high volumes of people in these areas that resulted in their identification by the Police and Counter Terrorism Unit as requiring protection from a hostile vehicle attack. These areas are currently identified as a future phase of the project, requiring a future extension of the hostile vehicle measures. If the current temporary arrangements were made permanent, there would be an opportunity to review the Hostile Vehicle Mitigation measures. This would potentially allow for the wider area protective measures to be put in place as a single project, with the potential for associated overall budget savings and earlier protection from shortening the overall programme.
17. It is recommended that the Executive Member for Transport approves the formal progression of the statutory consultation process for the proposed amendment to the Traffic Regulation Order. To increase public safety in areas of high footfall and reduce the level of conflict between vehicles and pedestrians, particularly in busy periods.
Blue Badge Parking Mitigation Measures
18. The removal of the exemption for Blue Badge Holders to access certain roads within the pedestrian zone has an effect on access to the city centreduring the pedestrian hours. This has led to a review of available Blue Badge Parking on the outskirts of the city centre, some of the locations considered are already available to park for Blue Badge holders and the Council was keen to understand if these locations would be better suited to designated Blue Badge parking bays. This would give the potential to provide longer stay bays, which may be beneficial and cause less of a rush, if wanting to visit cinema, theatre or local restaurants.
19. The engagement followed an open conversation approach, both online and offline, including direct conversations with individuals and advocacy groups and an open invite zoom workshop. This allowed detailed discussions to take place with those who wished to engage in depth, and captured general views through an online survey, which was distributed to nearby residents, city center businesses, and paper based questionnaires distributed across the city as requested.
20. In total there were 540 survey responses completed, of the completed surveys 270 were completed by Residents who are Blue Badge holders, 65 by residents who are not Blue Badge Holders, 69 by a carer of a Blue Badge Holder, 7 from businesses (including taxi drivers) and 129 skipped the question. We have also received 12 emails in response to the consultation.
21. There was also two open invite zoom meetings which were attended by 20 people.
22. The proposed locations for Blue Badge parking to help provide mitigation measure are to be considered at the following locations:
· Junction of Blake Street/Duncombe Place
· Duncombe Place Horse Drawn Carriage Bay
· St Andrewgate
· St Andrew Place
· Deangate
· Stonebow, outside Calvert’s Carpets
· St Deny’s Road
· Cumberland Street, Adjacent to the Theatre Royal
· Lord Mayor’s Walk
· St Leonard’s Place, outside De Grey Rooms
23. All of the above locations were included within the survey and discussed in detail at the workshops, to help provide an understanding of the suitability of each location. The findings and recommendations for each location are below.
24. Overall, the consultation revealed that many of the changes would be welcomed and would be useful to some people in some situations, including access to services, shops and cultural activities close to proposed new bays. However, workshop participants and many survey respondents repeated the desire for a return to previous access arrangements.
Junction of Blake Street/Duncombe Place (Annex B)
25. The location is not currently available to Blue Badge holders as it is within the pedestrian area and also has a number of cycle racks within the area that would need to be repositioned.
26. The progression of this proposal would require an amendment to the TRO to amend the entry point to the pedestrian area and the removal of a vehicle access restriction between Duncombe Place and Blake Street. There is also a requirement for some highway infrastructure changes, such as the removal of bollards, cycle racks and changes to kerb alignments, to ensure that there is sufficient space for vehicles to turn and access the proposed bays.
27. The route between Duncombe Place and Blake Street is used by parades (Military and York Pride) and sporting events (Yorkshire Marathon and York 10k run), which removes the requirement for the parades/events to close the inner ring road, whilst they progress through the area. This would mean that the bays would need to be suspended on the days of the parades/events.
28. This proposes the creation of 4 dedicated Blue Badge Parking bays, right on the edge of the footstreets. The bays would give access to relatively wide and good quality footpaths. This proposal would require the relocation of the cycle parking and some changes to the road layout to make room for the bays and sufficient area to manoeuvre.
29. Vehicles would continue to enter Blake Street as they currently do but they would need to exit the parking bays by turning right onto Duncombe Place.
Workshop comments
30. This location received positive feedback from the blue badge parking workshop groups and was referred to as a ‘perfect location’ and great for those who have previously parked on Blake Street. The location also received positive feedback due to its close proximity to nearby amenities (Theatre, Art Gallery, Library, Minster and shops on Petergate).
31. There was some concerns about how the bays would be accessed and how to exit the area with the current restrictions in place, this was explained in detail to provide the required clarity. A concern was raised about potential conflict with pedestrians in the area whilst try to manoeuvre in and out of the area.
Consultation Response
32. This location was considered very useful with over 50% of the respondents replying that the location was either extremely useful or very useful for city centre shops and services (65.34% - 198 responses), cultural activities (58.49% - 155 responses) and any other locations you need to access (51.66% - 140 responses).
33. Taking just Blue Badge holders and carers, again over 50% find the location either extremely useful or very useful for city centre shops and services (66.10% - 193 responses), cultural activities (58.20% - 149 responses) and any other locations they needed to access (52.87% - 138 responses).
34. The preference was for individually marked dedicated Blue Badge bays (75.65% - 233 responses), which are available for a maximum of 3 hours (76.45% - 237 responses) and at all times (86.77% - 269 responses). When asked if the bays could be shared with vehicles loading for local businesses all day the respondents strongly disagreed (54.49% - 164 responses) with the statement.
35. The comments were generally in favour of this location, although there were concerns about how vehicles would exit the area without having to access the pedestrian area. There were also some respondents who raised concerns about the enforcement of the bays due to difficulty with accessing the shared Blue Badge/loading bays on Duncombe Place.
36. The main comments against the location were in relation to the relocation of the cycle parking and these respondent were keen that any relocation of cycle parking did not lead to the removal of cycle parking.
37. Some residents raised concerns that 3 hours parking is not long enough to be able to enjoy evening entertainment, such as Cinema, theatre and restaurants.
38. It is recommended that approval is given for further investigation work to be undertaken on the feasibility of providing the bays with the required redesign work to ensure that vehicles can enter and exit the area safely. It is also proposed to undertake further investigation work into the relocation of the cycle parking to ensure that the cycle parking amenity is not reduced. This will help to identify the likely cost for providing the bays with the required changes to the highway infrastructure while not reducing the city centre cycle parking.
Duncombe Place Horse Drawn Carriage Bay (Annex C)
39. It is proposed to move the horse drawn carriage bay (if continued use is required), the area is currently covered by a temporary restriction and has been converted for use as a Loading Bay during the pedestrian hours.
40. The use of this area as a Blue Badge parking bay will provide Blue Badge parking for 3 vehicles, opposite the shared blue badge parking and loading bay outside the Dean Court Hotel. These bays give access to relatively wide and good quality footpaths, on the edge of the footstreets.
41. The street is currently receiving heavy use by food delivery drivers and an option was proposed to make the bay shared use with a 30 minute loading activity available.
Workshop Comments
42. This location was considered to be very useful due to the close proximity to the footstreets and local amenities, it was considered that the proposal should be taken forward. It was stated that this area was a good evening location and a request was made to consider the use of Petergate.
43. A concern was raised about how this would fit in with the Minsters plan for Queen Elizabeth Square, but the area is public highway and therefore the highway authority would decide on the use of the area. Another concern was raised about the height of the kerbs and request to drop the kerbs was made.
44. The proposal to have the bay shared with loading was not supported and the current level of parking in the area by delivery vehicles was raised as a concern
Consultation
45. This location was considered very useful with over 50% of the respondents replying that the location was either extremely useful or very useful for city centre shops and services (65.87% - 189 responses), cultural activities (61.05% - 163 responses) and any other locations you need to access (54.58% - 149 responses).
46. The majority of Blue Badge holders and carers replied that the location was either extremely useful or very useful for city centre shops and services (66.67% - 184 responses), cultural activities (61.72% - 158 responses) and any other locations they needed to access (56.11% - 147 responses).
47. The preference was for individually marked dedicated Blue Badge bays (78.35% - 228 responses), which are available for a maximum of 3 hours (75.09% - 214 responses) and at all times (82.76% - 240 responses). When asked if the bays could be shared with vehicles loading for local businesses all day the respondents strongly disagreed (47.67% - 133 responses) with the statement.
48. The comments raised concerns about the misuse of the bays making them unaccusable due to delivery vehicles parking in the bays, the enforcement of the restrictions would be undertaken by the Council Civil Enforcement officers.
49. Some residents requested the removal of the of the taxi bays on Duncombe Place to help provide additional space for blue badge parking but this would remove one of the main taxi ranks in the city and reduce the availability in the city.
50. It is proposed to take this option forward as dedicated Blue Badge Parking with a 3 hour limit at all times but to make no provision for loading in this location.
St Andrewgate (Annex D)
51. St Andrewgate currently has ‘No Waiting at any time’ Restriction and does see a level of Blue Badge parking on the double yellow lines. There is limited availability on the street for suitable locations for dedicated blue badge parking bays but there is potential to provide 3 or 4 individually marked bays.
Workshop Comments
52. It was generally not considered a good location for marked bays as the double yellow lines would also still be available and may lead to some obstructive parking, near residents’ vehicles accesses, which would lead to difficult vehicle manoeuvres. The road is narrow and is subject to some large vehicle access which is required to Bartle Garth.
53. A concern was raised about the quality of the paving on the footpaths and it was not considered good for certain adapted vehicles. There was some confusion about how to access the area but once confirmation was provided it was considered a good location due to the close proximity to the footstreets.
54. The road is used by delivery cyclists. The workshop attendees perceived that some delivery cyclists travel at speed and there was concern about the potential danger that may cause.
Consultation
55. The majority of the respondents considered this location was either extremely useful or very useful for city centre shops and services (59.09% - 169 responses) and any other locations you need to access (50.19% - 132 responses), whilst only 43.74% (112 responses) considered it as an extremely useful or very useful location for cultural activities, although 27.10% (71 responses) did respond as it being a somewhat useful location for cultural activities.
56. Amongst Blue Badge holders and carers, the majority considered this location was either extremely useful or very useful for city centre shops and services (60.00% - 165 responses). Around half felt it was extremely or very useful for any other locations they needed to access (50.79% - 128 responses), whilst only 42.63% (107 responses) considered it as an extremely useful or very useful location for cultural activities. Just over one quarter (26.69% - 67 responses) felt it was a somewhat useful location for cultural activities.
57. Almost two in three people that answered this question (65.11% - 181 responses) would prefer blue badge parking in dedicated Blue Badge Bays, rather than on double yellow lines (34.89% - 97 responses) as it currently operates. Although, it should be noted that out of 540 people surveyed 262 people (48.52%) skipped this question.
58. The preference for the dedicated bays was that they are available at all times (76.36% - 210 responses) with a maximum stay of a 3 hour stay (75.18% - 209 responses).
59. The comments on this location were generally favourable, although there were some concerns from Blue Badge holders about the distance to the city centre and some respondents raised concerns about the quality/width of the footpaths along this route.
60. We did also receive some concerns from residents of the area about the locations of the proposed bays and effects on access at junctions and to/from garages along the route. We did also receive some comments that these issues already exist so the introduction of designated bays will hopefully reduce the amount of obstructive parking in the area. One resident did raise a concern about access to the area due to delivery vehicles parked on Aldwark too close to its junction with Goodramgate.
61. The area is also heavily used by cyclists and there were concerns that marked bays may restrict cycle access along the road and through the bollards, due to the available width between the parked cars and the bollards.
62. It is proposed to take this option forward as dedicated Blue Badge Parking with a 3 hour limit at all times. To help alleviate some of the concerns raised above it is also proposed to introduce a loading ban on Aldwark from its junction with Goodramgate for 30 metres and undertake further investigation work into repositioning the bollards to provide a safer cycle access through the area when the bay is in use. The proposal will help provide clear on street parking for blue badge holders, whilst also increasing the safety of vehicle movements through the area.
St Andrew Place (Annex E)
63. St Andrew Place is a small residential courtyard around 80 metres from King’s Square. There is no footway, as it was designed as a shared space, with very low levels of traffic.
64. The street currently has ‘No Waiting at any time’ Restriction and does see a low level of Blue Badge parking on the double yellow lines. There is room to provide 2 individually marked Blue Badge bays.
Workshop Comments
65. The street was not known by a lot of participants, so they did not know how they would access the area and they did feel that it looked like a private street so would not currently use the area. There was also concerns about using this area, due to the impact on the residents and it didn’t appear to them that there would be sufficient space for turning, although a turning area is available at the end of the courtyard.
66. It was viewed as a very convenient location due to its proximity to the footstreets, although there were some concerns over the shared space and width of the road, it may not be suitable for certain adapted vehicles.
Consultation
67. There was no clear preference for how useful the location is, with 26.52% (74 responses) thinking it was extremely useful for city centre shops and services but 20.79% (58 responses) thought that is was not at all useful. 25.78% (66 responses) considered not at all useful for cultural activities, although 23.05% (59 responses) thought that may be somewhat useful.
68. Less than half of Blue Badge holders and carers felt this was an extremely or very useful location for city centre shops and services (43.87% - 118 responses), while one fifth (20.45% - 55 responses) thought that is was not at all useful. Only around a third (34.55% - 85 responses) considered it an extremely or very useful location for cultural activities, while 25.61% (63 responses) considered it not at all useful, though 22.76% (56 responses) thought it may be somewhat useful. In terms of any other locations they needed to access, just over a third (34.84% - 85 responses) felt it was extremely or very useful.
69. If the proposal was to be progressed the majority would prefer dedicated marked Blue Badge bays (62.36% - 169 responses) at all times (67.42% - 180 responses) and to be available for a maximum of 3 hours (79.01% - 207 responses).
70. A lot of the comments raised concerns about the lack of footpath on the street and the introduction of parking on to the shared space creating reduced width for residential vehicles and movements from/to the parked vehicles/residential properties and the city centre.
71. This proposal did create a lot of responses from residents of the street who raised concerns about how the street is currently used with obstructive parking close to the junction and in front of private accesses and garages. The street is currently used by a number of delivery vehicles for fast food delivery and servicing for some shops. The use of the street for this type of activity is a concern for the residents due to the increased level of vehicle movements at the junction and the reduced visibility from vehicles parking near the junction. The residents are concerned that the introduction of additional marked bays will only increase the obstructive parking instead of discouraging this type of activity on the street.
72. We did also receive some comments from blue badge holders who were unsure on the location of the street and how they would access the location. Two respondents also stated that 80 metres from the city centre would be too far for to walk to the shops and cafes.
73. It is proposed to take this option forward and introduce two dedicated Blue Badge Parking bays with a 3 hour limit at all times.
Deangate (Annex F)
74. Deangate has ‘No Waiting at any time’ restrictions is already regularly used for parking by Blue Badge Holders on the double yellow lines. The street is located on the edge of footstreets close to the shops and businesses on Goodramgate and York Minster.
Workshop Comments
75. The general consensus was that this is a good location and is already well used by Blue Badge Holders. The street is quieter now the Minster School has closed, which makes it a more attractive location to park. It may be a good location for some longer timed bays to make the better use of the nearby restaurants.
76. There were concerns about the location due to the Minsters plans for the area but it is public highway and therefore the responsibility of the highway authority. The space does not currently account for people who need more space and access to their boots, so longer marked bays may rectify that issue.
Consultation
77. This location was considered very useful with over 50% of the respondents replying that the location was either extremely useful or very useful for city centre shops and services (65.2% - 180 responses), cultural activities (63.32% - 164 responses) and any other locations you need to access (57.65% - 147 responses).
78. The majority of Blue Badge holders and carers replied that the location was either extremely useful or very useful for city centre shops and services (66.92% - 178 responses), cultural activities (64.26% - 160 responses) and any other locations they needed to access (58.78% - 144 responses).
79. The majority of the respondents would like to see individually marked Blue Badge bays (64% - 176 responses) at this location, that are available at all times (76.36% - 210 responses) for a maximum period of 3 hours (74.34% - 197 responses).
80. The respondents strongly disagreed that the bays should be shared with loading activities for local shops and business at all times (43.17% - 117 responses) and at certain times of the day (30.22% - 81 responses).
81. The main concerns in the comments for this section related to access to the Stone Yard and how the bays would affect cycle access along the route. There was also some concerns about the bays receiving some misuse from delivery vehicles and taxis.
82. It is recommended that dedicated 3 hour Blue Badge parking bays are provided at this location. This would help to segregate the bays away from the cycle route and help ensure that access to the stone yard is maintained whilst improving the Council Civil Enforcement Officers ability to enforce the restrictions.
Stonebow, outside Calvert’s Carpets (Annex G)
83. The location currently has a ‘No Waiting’ 8am till 6pm except Sunday restriction and is a pay and display bay outside of those times. The area is therefore already available to Blue Badge parking but unsure if the location is desirable or if a requirement for dedicated Blue Badge parking bays would be utilised within this area.
Workshop comments
84. It was generally considered that the location was not suitable for dedicated Blue Badge Parking as it is too far from the city centre and to access the centre you would need to go past the several bus stops with people waiting which could be busy and inconvenient.
85. The location is also at the bottom of a hill which makes it even less attractive.
Consultation
86. There was no clear preference for how useful the location is, with 24.91% (69 responses) thinking it was extremely useful for city centre shops and services but 23.47% (65 responses) thought that is was not at all useful. 29.73% (77 responses) considered not at all useful for cultural activities, although 27.03% (70 responses) thought that may be somewhat useful. With regards any other locations the respondents may need to access 22.31% (58 responses) thought it was extremely useful, 25.38% (66 responses) somewhat useful and 28.46% (74 responses) not at all useful.
87. Blue Badge holders and carers felt this was a less useful location. Less than half thought it was extremely or very useful for city centre shops and services (41.57% - 111 responses), but almost one quarter (23.22% - 62 responses) felt it is was not at all useful. Only 27.42% (68 responses) considered it very or extremely useful for cultural activities, while 3 in 10 (30.24% - 75 responses) stated it was not at all useful. For any other locations Blue Badge holders and carers may need to access, only a third (33.60% - 84 responses) thought it was extremely or very useful, 25.20% (63 responses) somewhat useful and 28.40% (71 responses) not at all useful.
88. The majority of the comments stated that this location was not suitable due to the distance to town and the steepness of the hill along the route. Although 3 respondents did comment that this location would provide an additional parking facility in the area for local amenities (churches, Doctors Office).
89. It is recommended to not take any further action, as the area is already available for Blue Badge holders to use if required but the introduction of Blue Badge bays are unlikely to be well utilised in this location.
St Deny’s Road (Annex H)
90. The road is currently available for Blue Badge Holders to park as the on street restrictions are a mix of ‘No Waiting at any time’ and ‘No Waiting’ 8am to 6pm except Sunday with a marked Pay & Display bay outside of those times. As the area is available for Blue Badge parking it was more about if this location is desirable for a requirement for dedicated Blue Badge parking bays and would they be utilised.
Workshop Comments
91. The participants were of the opinion that the location was too far out from the city centre and would only be useful for access to the church. There was also a concern about safety getting in and out of vehicles as the street is a one way street on the bus route, so passengers are likely to have to get into the vehicle from the carriageway.
Consultation
92. There was no clear preference for how useful the location is, with 25.09% (67 responses) thinking it was somewhat useful for city centre shops and services but 22.10% (59 responses) thought that is was not at all useful. 23.92% (61 responses) considered not at all useful for cultural activities, although 24.71% (63 responses) thought that may be somewhat useful. With regards any other locations the respondents may need to access 24.60% (62 responses) thought it was somewhat and 24.60% (62 responses) not at all useful.
93. Only just over a third of Blue Badge holders and carers felt this location was extremely or very useful for city centre shops and services (34.50% - 89 responses). A quarter (25.19% - 65 responses) thought it was somewhat useful, but 22.09% (57 responses) thought it was not at all useful. For cultural activities, only around 3 in 10 (31.84% - 78 responses) felt it was extremely or very useful, while almost a quarter (24.08% - 59 responses) considered it not at all useful. For any other locations Blue Badge holders and carers needed to access, almost a third (32.10% - 78 responses) thought it was extremely or very useful, but a quarter (24.69% - 60 responses) felt it was not at all useful.
94. The majority of the respondents would like to see individually marked Blue Badge bays (65.65% - 172 responses) at this location, that are available at all times (74.05% - 194 responses) for a maximum period of 3 hours (71.76% - 183 responses).
95. The respondents strongly disagreed that the bays should be shared with loading activities for local shops and business at all times (37.74% - 97 responses) but 33.73% (84 responses) did agree that they should be shared at certain times of the day, although there are already loading bays on Walmgate and Fossgate to assist with loading in the nearby area, so it is not considered that this would be required.
96. The comments show that Blue Badge parking is already in use in this location for access to the nearby shops and businesses. Although a lot of comments indicated that the location was too far away from pedestrian area to be a useful mitigation for the removal of the exemption for Blue Badge holder access.
97. The recommendation would be to take no further action at this location, as the area is already used by Blue Badge holder for access to the local area, whilst not removing the evening Pay and Display amenity for access to the local area.
Cumberland Street, Adjacent to the Grand Opera House (Annex I)
98. The proposed bay would be adjacent to the Grand Opera House and would provide access to the Theatre and also provide availability of additional designated Blue Badge parking bays on the south side of the city. The area currently has ‘No Waiting at any time’ restrictions and is used by the theatre as a loading area for their productions.
99. The location would be very useful for access to the theatre as it would be near the step free access to the theatre. The location was not considered as convenient for access to the city centre due to the gradient of Cumberland Street, which would not be friendly for a wheelchair user, the parking bays would need to be as near to the top of the street as possible.
100. It was mentioned that some theatres do provide a facility for Blue Badge Holders to book parking adjacent to the theatre to make the Theatre more accessible and it was questioned if this would be something that could be achievable at this location. This would require the highway authority giving permission to a private company to be able to book parking on the public highway.
Consultation
101. This location was considered very useful with over 50% of the respondents replying that the location was either extremely useful or very useful for city centre shops and services (59.24% - 157 responses), cultural activities (62.74% - 160 responses) and any other locations you need to access (52.82% - 140 responses).
102. The majority of Blue Badge holders and carers considered this location to be useful, stating that the location was either extremely or very useful for city centre shops and services (60.39% - 154 responses), cultural activities (64.08% - 157 responses) and any other locations they needed to access (53.56% - 128 responses).
103. The majority of the respondents would like to see individually marked Blue Badge bays (70.52% - 189 responses) at this location, that are available at all times (84.96% - 226 responses) for a maximum period of 3 hours (65.23% - 167 responses).
104. The respondents strongly disagreed that the bays should be shared with loading activities for local shops and business at all times (42.91% - 112 responses) and at certain times of the day (31.30% - 82 responses).
105. The main concern of the respondents was the steepness of the hill in the location, with some residents stating that the bays nearest Clifford Street would be the only usable bays. Some of the comments also raised concerns about how busy the streets (Clifford Street & Nessgate) are with pedestrians and vehicles on the access to the city centre.
106. The location was seen as a benefit for access to the Grand Opera House. Although, it was pointed out from some respondents that the step free access to the theatre is via King Street and a request was made for bays on King Street, but the carriageway width on King Street would not provide enough space. A number of comments mentioned that they did not feel that a 3 hour bay in this location would be sufficient, as it would not allow enough time to enjoy many shows and drink/food prior to the performance.
107. It is recommended that approval is given for further investigation and consultation work with the Grand Opera House to be undertaken on the feasibility of providing the bays. The responses were in favour of the location for the cultural activities that it provided but there are concerns about the lack of step free access and gradient of the road on this elevation of the Grand Opera House. This will help to identify the feasibility of the use of the bays in line with the operations of the Grand Opera House.
Lord Mayor’s Walk (Annex J)
108. The area is currently a Residents Parking bay which would be available for Blue Badge holders if space is available, the proposal is mark 2/3 designated Blue Badge parking bays just after the bus stop as close as possible to Monk Bar.
109. The foot streets through Monk Bar maybe a concern as they are narrow and in some locations uneven.
Workshop Comments
110. The participants were not in favour of this location as it was too far from the city centre and it would not open up any part of the city centre to be more accessible. Lord Mayor’s Walk is also a very busy road and there were concerns about having to access and egress the vehicles from the carriageway and some participant would even prefer to use the nearby car parks compared to this location.
Consultation
111. The highest percentage of respondents for all three options was not at all useful; city centre shops and services 29.63% (80 responses), cultural activities 33.46% (85 responses), locations you may need to access 32.80% (82 responses). The next highest response rate for all three options was somewhat useful, with city centre shops and services 22.59% (61 responses), cultural activities 22.05% (56 responses), locations you may need to access 24.00% (60 responses), which gives an indication that the area may well not be utilised if the proposal was taken forward.
112. Less than a third of Blue Badge holders and carers considered this location to be extremely or very useful for city centre shops and services (32.95% - 86 responses), cultural activities (30.33% - 74 responses) or any other locations they needed to access (28.22% - 68 responses). Similar proportions felt this location was not at all useful for city centre shops and services (29.89% - 78 responses), cultural activities (34.02% - 83 responses) and any other locations they needed to access (33.20% - 80 responses).
113. The majority of the respondents would like to see individually marked Blue Badge bays (74.24% - 196 responses) at this location, that are available at all times (73.21% - 194 responses) for a maximum period of 3 hours (71.48% - 183 responses).
114. The respondents strongly disagreed that the bays should be shared with loading activities for local shops and business at all times (38.67% - 99 responses) but 34.52% (87 responses) did agree that they should be shared at certain times of the day.
115. The majority of the comments on this location related to its distance from the city centre, with many feeling it was too far to be a viable option. There were some comments that mentioned it would be a good location for access to the university or the café and shops ion Gillygate. We did receive a comment stating that there is not much point in this location due to the bays recently installed at Monk Bar Car Park.
116. It is recommended to not take any further action at this location as it does not appear to be a useful location. The area is already available for the users that may find the bay of use and there is also a Pay & Display bay adjacent and marked bays in Monk Bar carpark, if required for access to the University and the businesses on Gillygate.
St Leonard’s Place, outside De Grey Rooms (Annex K)
117. There is a taxi rank marked at this location and the proposal would be to mark the bay as a dedicated daytime Blue Badge parking bay and retain the taxi bay overnight. The area is close to the Art Gallery and may have some appeal Blue Badge holders who are keen to access the Gallery.
Workshop Comments
118. The participants did feel that the area was a convenient location for accessing the Art Gallery, cafes and Theatre. Although, there was a concern about how busy the road is and the potential requirement for people to need to exit the vehicles on to the carriageway.
119. It was suggested that some alternative locations nearby may be worth exploring, one of which was an area behind the Yorkshire Museum but this area is owned by York University and outside of the control by City of York Council. Another location was Exhibition Square but this area would need much further investigation due to the current usage of the square.
Consultation
120. This location was considered very useful with over 50% of the respondents replying that the location was either extremely useful or very useful for city centre shops and services (60.99% - 161 responses), cultural activities (69.26% - 178 responses) and any other locations you need to access (56.45% - 140 responses).
121. The majority of Blue Badge holders and carers considered this location to be either extremely or very useful for city centre shops and services (61.18% - 156 responses), cultural activities (69.51% - 171 responses) and any other locations they needed to access (56.90% - 136 responses).
122. The majority of the respondents would prefer that these bays are available and for Blue Badge holder at all times (63.22% - 165 responses) and would not like to share the space with Taxis operating in the evening. The preference was also for the bays to have a maximum time period of 3 hours (73.64% - 190 responses).
123. The respondents strongly disagreed that the bays should be shared with loading activities for local shops and business at all times (42.35% - 108 responses) and at certain times of the day 31.62% (80 responses) strongly disagreed but 30.83% (78 responses) agreed that the bays should be available for loading at certain times.
124. The main comments were that they did not consider the location to be safe as anyone getting in/out of their vehicles from the driver side, would be doing so adjacent to traffic travelling on the inner ring road. The location did also receive comments of concern about shared space and the confusion that shared spaces can cause.
125. The positive about this location was its proximity to the Art Gallery and Theatre, although we did also receive some comments that the location would not be suitable if the bays are not available during the evening for access to the Theatre.
126. It is recommended to not take any further action at this location due to safety concerns from drivers having to get in and out of the vehicles on the inner ring road.
Mitigation Measure in the Pedestrian Area
127. The changes to the processing of Pavement Café Licenceshave seen an increase in pavement cafes and this has created additional issues for access around the licensed areas. A lot of the pavements in the pedestrian area have full height kerbs which restrict access to some residents with mobility issues and they cannot then access some shops and businesses. Due to a combination of these factors consideration has been given to installation of either dropped kerbs with tactile paving or a raised carriageway height to make more of these locations accessible for all residents.
128. It is recommended that additional investigation work is committed too, so suitable locations can found for either dropped kerbs with tactile paving or a raised carriageway height. This will help to provide the required information to be able to obtain a cost for the works and progress the matter.
Further responses:
129. The proposals to extend the footstreets should be seen in the context of a wider Strategic Review of City Centre Access and Parking which was commissioned by the Executive in November 2020 and will complete in September. The purpose of this review is to look beyond the access mitigations that are set out in this report to accompany the new footstreets, and explore how access for all to and through the city centre can be improved. Ongoing public and stakeholder engagement is under way to:
a. Improve disabled access
b. Ensure sustainable delivery solutions for city centre businesses
c. Review the operation of taxis
d. Explore how all cycling groups access and cross the city centre
e. Understand and respond to access needs of city centre residents
f. Finding the best solution to mediate between the competition for city centre space
130.This strategic review will consider the feasibility and viability of a whole raft of measures that could contribute to improving access for these groups, including exploring options for a shuttle service for those with limited mobility, delivery hub models, the operation of shopmobility, identifying priority car parks for disabled parking improvements, and improving access routes from those car parks. This proposals will be shaped by the ongoing public engagement workshops, surveys and social media interaction, and the draft strategic review will be tested and refined with the public before being brought back to Executive in September 2021.
Council Plan 2019 -2023
This report is supportive of the following priorities in the Council Plan:
Local economy:Greater recognition of the unique strength of York’s independent retail sector and the specific challenges it faces
Greener and cleaner city: options for sustainable transport are improved to reduce the need for car travel in the city
Getting around sustainably: More people will travel by sustainable means such as walking cycling and clean public transport throughout the year.
Good health and well-being: Increasing emphasis on wider determinants of health, understanding how people live their lives and the way the council enhances the environment with positive impacts on health and wellbeing of York’s Population. Ensuring that transport options meet the needs of the most vulnerable
Open and effective council: Maintain our commitment to our public sector equalities duties
Working with partners:We will continue being a listening council, involving residents and communities in everything we do.
Implications
The following are the identified implications.
· Financial – The funding for the proposals will come from existing budgets.
· Equalities – see Annex L – Equalities Impact Assessment for the recommendations set out in the report
· Legal – The decisions will require changes in the York Traffic Management Order and the York Parking, Stopping and Waiting Order.
· Crime and Disorder - Reduce the risk of dangerous driving /abuse of the footstreet regulations. Reduce the risk of injuries from moving vehicles in high footfall areas of the city centre
· Information Technology (IT) – None.
· Property - None
· Risk Management –.Risk of failure to adequately assess and mitigate impacts on groups with protected characteristics
Risk of damage to city centre economy
Risk of Hostile Vehicle Incident leading to injury or loss of life
Contact Details:
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Author: |
Chief Officer Responsible for the report:
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Darren Hobson Traffic Management Team Leader Transport Tel No. 01904551367
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James Gilchrist Director Environment, Transport & Planning
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Report Approved |
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14/06/2021 |
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Wards Affected: Guildhall |
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For further information please contact the author of the report
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Annexes
Annex A – Independent Review of York City Centre Disabled Access Offer
Annex B – Junction of Blake Street & Duncombe Place
Annex C – Duncombe Place Horse Drawn Carriage
Annex D – St Andrewgate
Annex E – St Andrew Place
Annex F – Deangate
Annex G – Stonebow outside Calvert Carpets
Annex H – St Deny’s Road
Annex I – Cumberland Street
Annex J – Lord Mayor’s Walk
Annex K – St Leonard’s Place
Annex L – Equalities Impact Assessment
Annex M – City Centre Blue Badge Parking Survey Results
Annex N – City Centre Blue Badge Parking Survey Results Blue Badge Holder Responses Only