Agenda item

At this point in the meeting members of the public who have registered to speak can do so. Members of the public may speak on agenda items or on matters within the remit of the Executive.

Please note that our registration deadlines are set as two working days before the meeting, in order to facilitate the management of public participation at our meetings. 

The deadline for registering at this meeting is 5.00pm on Friday, 8 May 2026.      

To register to speak please visit www.york.gov.uk/AttendCouncilMeetings to fill in an online registration form.  If you have any questions about the registration form or the meeting, please contact Democratic Services.  Contact details can be found at the foot of this agenda.

Webcasting of Public Meetings

Please note that, subject to available resources, this meeting will be webcast including any registered public speakers who have given their permission. The meeting can be viewed live and on demand at www.york.gov.uk/webcasts.

It was reported that there had been seven registrations to speak at the meeting under the Council’s Public Participation Scheme.

Louise Harris-Collins spoke remotely in relation to agenda item 6, York Christmas Market Operating Hours and Economic Impact. Louise emphasised that every trading day was critical to her business. That closing on a Tuesday represented a loss of five full days of trading, effectively removing an entire week's worth of revenue. That for businesses of a similar scale and a very difficult industry, this was not a minor inconvenience. It would have a significant financial impact. It was pointed out that whilst footfall may be lower midweek, Tuesday customers were often local residents, nearby office workers, and visitors on shorter breaks. A loyal audience who chose to visit on quieter days. Removing this option would not redistribute those customers to other days.

Flick Williams spoke remotely in relation to agenda item 6, York Christmas Market Operating Hours and Economic Impact. Flick stated that disabled people were not a homogeneous mass with either the same impairments or the same level of access need. Businesses who said that disabled people needed to suck it up in response to being totally excluded for six weeks of the year should examine their own access arrangements, reasonable adjustments, and understanding of the Equality Act.

Diane Roworth spoke remotely in relation to agenda item 6, York Christmas Market Operating Hours and Economic Impact. Diane spoke as a disabled person and Chair of York Access Forum, in favour of the recommendation for a resident's rest day during this year’s Christmas Market. This was because City of York Council had strategies and responsibilities to uphold that were outlined in the report. The city centre must be a place for all residents, which included older and disabled people. A resident's rest day meant that people currently excluded from the city centre for the entire period of the Christmas Market would have a choice that they do not currently have to come into York for one day a week.

Simon Long spoke in relation to agenda item 6, York Christmas Market Operating Hours and Economic Impact. Simon was the owner of Shambles Kitchen, a proud York resident and one of the longest serving traders on the Christmas market. He was representing not just himself, but 30 permanent staff who relied on him for their income. He stated that he could not afford to lose a day’s trade knowing the impact on payroll for event staff long after the market had closed. That the Christmas Market had changed a lot over the years. Closing time used to be 9.00pm at the weekend. It had been reduced to 7.00pm in 2024 and very few people were aware of this. Visitors had driven miles to spend the night at the Christmas Market in York, only to find out it was closed. There was concern how people across the country were to be pre-warned not to come to York on specific days if they wanted to visit the Christmas Market.

Amanda Cooper spoke in relation to agenda item 6, York Christmas Market Operating Hours and Economic Impact. Amanda spoke on behalf of York Disability Rights Forum. She stated that the unexpected restrictions of the 2025 Christmas markets had been damaging. And when it was expected that routes were to be fully reopened in late December, one of the routes was immediately closed again for several weeks for layout changes. In addition, blue badge bays around the city were regularly abused. It meant that access to the city centre for blue badge holders remained fragile. It was felt that those who opposed the proposal should reflect that they too may become disabled one day. That including disabled people and residents sent out a positive statement about the sort of inclusive community that we wanted York to be.

Nick Miller spoke in relation to agenda item 6, York Christmas Market Operating Hours and Economic Impact. Nick was a food store operator and was on-site every day at the Christmas Market. He reported that last year his business received a record number of applicants seeking work. To close one day a week would stop the whole production and have a massive impact on the business and the amount of people that they could afford to employ on the shop floor and behind the scenes. It was stated that closure on one of the days would make the other days possibly even busier, which could potentially put more pressure on the Christmas Market as a whole. He also highlighted the limited timeframe available to make the event worthwhile and the significant risk / reward investment that traders made each year.

Rob Collins spoke in relation to agenda item 6, York Christmas Market Operating Hours and Economic Impact. Rob was a local business owner and had a cafe on Parliament Street. He stated that he was very supportive of the Christmas Market and so were his customers that he spoke to. Due to spiralling costs his business relied on the Christmas Market. Traders lost two weeks in November when the Christmas Market was built and sales plummeted. It was reported that sales during the Christmas Market period were good. Once the Christmas Market closed, it was a ghost town of empty chalets for a week followed by a bleak January and February. November and December income enabled businesses to stay afloat over the following few months. Losing a Tuesday in December was so much more than losing a Tuesday in January. Hospitality was on its knees. The Council’s support was needed right now.

The Leader of the Council concluded this item by reporting that ten written representations had been submitted in advance of the meeting. A further seven written representations had been resubmitted from the April Executive meeting. These had all been taken into account and published on the Council’s website.