BUSINESESES in York's Micklegate are banding together to restore the famous street to its former glory.

A soapbox go-cart race, a street festival and a Christmas market are all planned.

The newly formed Micklegate Business Initiative, involving 25 traders, is organising a series of events to attract shoppers and families.

It will form part of an 'Ice Trail' taking place across York over the weekend of December 12/13 and will also hold a Christmas artisan market, and it is proposing to organise a Micklegate Run Soap Box Challenge next summer.

Shelagh Garside, from Curtain Up, said the street had always been known for the Micklegate Run. "We now want to turn this negative into a big positive," she said.

"Our aim is to organize a family festival day in late August with our Micklegate Run Soap Box Challenge. This will see soap box go-carts racing down Micklegate with different teams competing for the glory of winning the Micklegate Run.”

York Press:

Members of the new initiative, pictured left to right, are Cpl. Jason Brownlee (Army Information Office), Lucinda Robinson (Plaskitt and Plaskitt), Johnny Hayes (Chair Micklegate Business Initiative, Kim Oldfield (Blossom Gallery and Framing), Clare Mullen (Plaskitt and Plaskitt), Jules Butler (Blossom Street Gallery and Framing), Marc Allinson (Artful Dodger), Shelagh Garside (Curtain Up) and Chris Cuino (Cafe La Tazzina).

The group said that over the last few years, Micklegate had suffered, with 11 shops becoming empty and a negative reputation for excessive drinking by some visitors at weekends.

"Although there are many excellent businesses on Micklegate, the image of the street is well below where it deserves to be," it said in a statement.

Chris Ceasar of Micklegate Photography Gallery said: “We have seen what the Bishy Road Traders Association has done for Bishopthorpe Road and we aim to do the same for Micklegate. We are a close group of traders who care about the long term potential of Micklegate."

York councillor Johnny Hayes, who chairs the Bishy Road Traders Association, has been elected as chairman of the Micklegate initiative as well. He said the initiative was 'very good news' for Micklegate, adding: "When people start working together you can achieve a great deal.

"The joint aim of all the traders in the Micklegate Business Initiative is to improve the image of the street, to hold brilliant events and to get good new businesses back into empty premises. This will be an exciting journey and one that will make a genuine difference to Micklegate and to York.”

Mr Ceasar said: “The Initiative is determined to stop the rot and our ambitions are high. Our ultimate aim is to get Micklegate back to being known as ‘York’s Finest Street’.”