THE controversial six-month closure of a York bridge to most traffic will be debated by the city’s councillors this week after more than 1,200 people signed a petition opposing it.

Lendal Bridge is set to be shut to cars and motorbikes from next month after City of York Council said it would make bus journeys quicker, help address the city’s congestion and pollution problems and encourage bus operators to run more services.

The decision to close it for a trial period between 10.30am and 5pm daily was made by the Labour authority’s cabinet in May.

Business leaders have said it will harm York’s economic growth, while 1,244 people have supported a petition calling for a rethink over claims it will increase queues and pollution through motorists using other “already busy” York bridges.

It must now be debated at a full council meeting, which will be held on Thursday, as it has more than 1,000 signatures.

A briefing note for councillors by transport officials ahead of the meeting said the closure, which could be made permanent and its hours extended if the trial is judged a success, was part of a “wider transformation” of the city-centre and would mirror the past decision to introduce footstreets and stop traffic passing by York Minster.

It said: “Concern at that time was overtaken by opportunity and vision, and the success of those bold decisions is now being shared throughout the country.”

Officers said the bridge closure would add to congestion on some routes, but studies of transport schemes in other countries had shown predictions of traffic problems were often “unnecessarily alarmist”.

Last month, Coun Dave Merrett, cabinet member for transport, revealed peak-time traffic in the centre of York had fallen slightly, but said the Lendal Bridge scheme could reduce it further and bus firms would be more likely to invest if they attract additional passengers through more reliable services encouraging people to leave their cars at home.

The council’s Liberal Democrat group and York and North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce have both said the idea should be dropped, while the Conservatives have claimed the authority has not taken the opinions of residents and businesses into account.