EARLY-EVENING family entertainment plans for York city-centre have been quietly dropped, prompting questions on how the early evening economy can thrive.

In 2014, a pilot scheme was proposed for Coppergate designed specifically to keep families in the city after shops and other attractions had closed. It was to have included market stalls and family entertainment, in the hope that would fill a lull in trade after traditional closing times, and balance out the later night time alcohol-driven trade by providing more family-friendly activities.

But the city's new tourism bosses look to have decided against trying to make it a reality, saying the idea pre-dates their appointment Cllr John Galvin, who chaired the council group that came up with the plan, has previously expressed his anger that it had not been implemented.

On Tuesday, he said he still believed the plan could boost the city centre.

He said: "I still maintain that there is a potential for an economy in the early evening that is based on entertainment, not retail."

Since the pilot was first suggested York's destination management company Make it York has been established and taken on responsibility for tourism and promotion.

York Press:

Cllr John Galvin, pictured previously in the Coppergate Centre

The company's managing director Steve Brown said that they are supporting plans to bring families into the city, and to liven up the evening economy, but said the Coppergate plan drawn up by a group of councillors pre-dated his organisation.

The Easter weekend's festival on Parliament Street was put on by Make it York specifically to attract families with children into the city over the bank holiday weekend, he said, while other projects like the Comedy Festival and Thor's Tipi at Christmas have been aimed specifically at attracting people to York in the evenings.

He added: "This weekend's fair is an example of something we have organised for families. It's all designed to attract families with kids into the city centre."

Hoteliers said the full potential of York's early evening economy was not being realised. Graham Usher, who chairs the city's Hoteliers' Association, said that York misses out on a massive market by not having shops open or entertainment available for holidaymakers -whether families or adults - in the evening.

"You walk through the city centre on a weekday evening and it's dead as a doorknob.

"There is a city centre buzz on a Friday and Saturday night, but that drops off pretty sharply on a Sunday afternoon. We could extend that just a bit by having things going on on a Wednesday and Thursday.

"There's no reason why people shouldn't come to York for an evening on the bus or the train."

The key lies in a "wider offer", he said, including later opening shops, entertainment, and restaurants, rather than relying on just one sector. He praised Make it York for its work and success in bringing together the different sectors, and said having that organisation there to bridge the gap is invaluable.

"We have been arguing the toss with the night-time economy for years. It's on every agenda when we meet with the council. The change now is Make it York - now we have an organisation there to assist and challenge the shortfall in our evening economy."

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