TRANSPORT bosses in York have asked residents and businesses to take a look at how they travel ahead of the controversial trial closure of a city-centre bridge.

Lendal Bridge will be closed to cars and motorbikes between 10.30am and 5pm for six months from August 27.

City of York Council has said the scheme could cut congestion and pollution and speed up bus services. Opponents claim it will cause gridlock on other roads and harm city-centre traders.

The authority is sending every home in York a leaflet about the trial closure, which will also be available at York Explore library and York Hospital.

Drop-in advice sessions will be held in Parliament Street on August 7 and 8, September 11 and 12 and October 5 and the itravelyork.info website will include advice on planning journeys and other forms of transport. The I-Travel York initiative will also run advice sessions in Parliament Street on August 10 and 17.

Two business briefings will be held at the council’s West Offices HQ on August 14.

Ruth Stephenson, the council’s head of sustainable transport service, said: “We are now beginning a comprehensive period of consultation throughout the trial and encourage everybody to feed back their views and inform our future decisions.”