Executive meeting on Tuesday, 14 April 2026

Written representation in relation to agenda item 7, York Christmas Market Operating Hours and Economic Impact

Dear Executive Members,

We have received and reviewed the report in relation to York Christmas Market.

We appreciate what you are saying about access, however my mother is disabled and has no problems parking and walking into the centre, as locals ourselves living in the YO postcode we visit York regularly. York is accessible and has plenty of disabled space to park, park and ride and taxis are available.

To reduce the opening days of the market would have an effect on us, but yet the pitch fees remain the same or go up, would this not reduce our fees as we can’t trade why should we pay for a day to be closed? We are a small Yorkshire business who rely heavily on the Christmas period to get us through the quiet months.

We appreciate there needs to be some area set up for disabled customers, however there are many markets across the UK which operate just fine and we notice just in general the negativity surrounding York from locals.

It’s a historic city so visitor numbers are always high. If you live here you appreciate that and go in at different times, just like we do. You cannot please everyone, but many disabled people I know actually disagree with the people complaining as it’s a small percentage, albeit York needs to be inclusive, but to what effect, loss of earnings, closing for one day will increase footfall on other days creating a more unsafe place, more crowding. It is difficult to know what stock levels are needed. It won’t deter terrorists either.

We do all the events in York and notice we don't really serve many locals anyway, they don't support the chocolate festival, food fest (its dead mid-week) or the market or even the shambles market is in decline because locals just don’t support it, so what do locals want you to do for them, nothing, whatever you do it all gets bad press.

It would be sad and a shame if York lost the market just like Lincoln, now the locals moan they have nothing, you cannot win whatever you do.

The market is an asset to York not just as a business owner but we love and come in regularly just to shop, bank, etc whenever we are in its busy, shops will suffer, hotels will suffer, it will confuse people who are visiting, if the markets shut for a day. It was bad enough opening at 10.30am we lost an average of £95 spend each morning missing 30 minutes from people going to work who buy a snack on their way in, yet we were not compensated. To lose yet another day is on average £2,500 over six weeks. You are talking a lot of money, who will compensate us for that, I'm guessing no one! We have bills and business rents/rates to pay just like other business. Businesses need people to come out for us to survive.

The layout of York is friendly for disabled customers. There are spaces for them, you can’t knock down buildings or parking in the centre, there's no space, with the council getting rid of the castle car park which has now compounded the issue. Make that disabled parking, it’s a two-minute walk to get into York and you’re at Fenwicks. You can’t provide door to door parking for everyone, it’s just unrealistic.

If you close the market for one day, we would like compensating for the loss of earnings and reduced pitch fees.

Warm regards,

Kate Dawson

The Gourmet Scotch Egg Co