BUSINESSES in Stonegate have backed suggestions for new traffic restrictions after a lorry damaged a historic building.

On Friday, a delivery lorry collided with the Pyramid Gallery in Stonegate, after it mounted the pavement to get round a parked car, become wedged into the first floor of the listed National Trust property and leaving a pile of rubble on the ground.

The lorry was eventually removed from the building after more than two hours, with structural engineers from City of York Council and the National Trust using scaffolding to support the ledge the lorry crashed into.

After the incident, Councillor Andy D'Agorne took to social media to share his opinions that something should be done to prevent this happening in the future.

He said: "Either we need bollards along the kerb edge here or just close the street and make them deliver with a sack barrow as works perfectly well for the Shambles.

"Lorries and old buildings don't mix. Venice and shops on the Shambles manage without direct delivery to the door so why do we allow this sort of vehicle down Stonegate?"

Fiona Macfarlane, assistant manager of Pyramid Gallery said the gallery was open again by about 1pm, and remained open over the weekend, but she believed fewer people had entered the gallery due in part to scaffolding that had been set up in the street.

She said: "We've had residents in complaining about the large wagons since the accident wishing we could have height restrictions. People are devastated that the building was damaged but glad no-one was hurt which we all are.

"We rent from the National Trust and the council were here on the scene and the Trust came afterwards and all deemed it safe to open which was fantastic for us. It should be a big weekend for us but I think people still think maybe we're closed. The scaffolding was put up by council but the National Trust said they didn't think there's any need for it. I think after the Bank Holiday they will take that down."

Fiona said the scaffolding had covered the windows, and she was concerned that had convinced passers-by that the gallery was closed.

She said: "We should be able to get something back from the insurance company for the lack of business, as we lost a full morning's trade, but we can't say how much that will be.

"The John Wheeler and Hannah Arnup exhibit is still on upstairs but we've had to move a few things away from the window area just to be on the safe side as the National Trust didn't want too much weight just on that part of the building over where the damage was. We got scraped all of the time by these big lorries but we've never been as bad as this."

Mike White, manager of Berry's jewellers, opposite the gallery, said he agreed with the suggestion He said: "This street isn't built for vehicles of that size. I find it ludicrous. We're left picking up the bill or if we're not there are insurance claims all over the place.

"We're forever paying for our windows to be repaired. A lorry that size shouldn't have been coming down during business times. I would absolutely support the call for some sort of restriction and I think a height restriction is the only way to go."