YORK'S new transport boss says a decision on whether to refund thousands of motorists fined for using Coppergate is one of his top priorities.

Cllr Ian Gillies called for action as soon as possible, following the authority's loss of an appeal in April over its fining of drivers caught on camera using the street when barred.

"Motorists have been waiting long enough for the end of this long and protracted saga," he said.

He said City of York Council officials needed to compile a report to the ruling executive.

He spoke out as calls grew for the authority to get on with issuing refunds, following the national Traffic Penalty Tribunal's dismissal of the authority's challenge to a ruling last year that the council had no power to issue penalty charge notices for using Coppergate.

Susanne Punter, of Strensall, said yesterday it was time she was given a full refund of two "unfair" £30 fines she was handed for using the street on consecutive Sundays in August 2013 while driving to church.

She said she travelled for years through Coppergate to get from Strensall to St Columba’s Church in Priory Street and there had been inadequate publicity and warning signs about extended hours of closure.

Former York man John Stather, now of Scarborough, said he had a tenant who had been fined £90 for using Coppergate on three consecutive days and it was time they received a full refund. James Elliot also wrote to The Press saying the council had told him it was seeking further legal advice after he had contacted it to find out what it was doing to refund fines.

He said: "Surely it is now time for the new council to abandon any further opposition to the adjudicator's judgments and put in place the mechanism for refunds to those who have been penalised by this unjust, ill-thought, unpublicised and shambolic scheme."

The authority has £387,000 set aside in case it has to issue refunds but it is understood it is still entitled to seek a judicial review at the High Court of the decision by the Traffic Penalty Tribunal.

Council assistant transport director Neil Ferris said in April that the council would be digesting the tribunal’s decision and would be taking legal advice.

Lib Dem Cllr Keith Aspden, who is now deputy council leader, said then that the council should promptly issue refunds and rule out further costly legal challenges.

The council decided last year not to challenge the tribunal's ruling on similar fines issued for using Lendal Bridge during an experimental traffic ban, and scrapped the ban and refunded thousands of motorists' penalty charge notices for breaching it.

A council spokeswoman said yesterday: "Officers are briefing the new administration and any decision will require a report and consideration at executive."