TRAFFIC from the new York Central development should be prevented from using ‘Marble Arch’ to access the city centre, says the Green Party candidate in the council’s Holgate by-election.

Andreas Heinemeyer said options to restrict traffic under Marble Arch - the Leeman Road bridge under the railway line near York station - were included in earlier York Central consultation documents and should be included now.

He said Green Party councillors had been pressing for the route to be reserved for buses, taxis, pedestrians and cyclists, at least during peak hours, to prevent the area becoming clogged with commuter traffic and felt York Central should take advantage of being within walking and cycling distance of the city centre and station.

He also argued that on-site parking should not be provided for every York Central house, which would allow thousands of additional cars to crowd the roads.

Tamsin Hart-Jones, of the York Central Partnership, said its vision was to make York Central a ‘well-connected, well-designed and environmentally-sensitive place' and to achieve this, it was interested in hearing people’s views.

“Transport, access routes and how people move through and around the York Central site are among the key points that we are currently discussing with community groups and organisations within the city,” she said.

“These conversations will help inform the development of our proposals in more detail over the coming weeks and months as the project team prepare more detailed designs for the site.”

Meanwhile, Andreas, 46, who works as an ecologist at the University of York, also said he wanted to ensure green spaces such as West Bank Park, Millennium Green and allotments were protected and enhanced for the community.

The election will be on Thursday, February 15. The persons nominated also include Emma Keef, Liberal Democrats, Joe Pattinson, Conservative Party, and Kallum Taylor, Labour Party.