YORK'S historic Walmgate Bar will remain closed to traffic, despite warnings that bus services will suffer.

The bar was shut as an experiment last October after being repeatedly struck by vehicles too high to pass through it.

City councillors have now agreed to close the bar permanently, after being told there was a clear choice - to protect the ancient structure from further vehicle strikes, or protect bus chiefs' ability "to operate as they would wish".

The move could lead to a public inquiry if any objections are lodged when City of York Council advertises the necessary permanent closure order.

But bus company First, which said it would have preferred the Bar to remain open, will not press for an inquiry and will accept the council's decision.

At a meeting of a planning and transport advisory group yesterday, Coun Chris Hogg said: "Walmgate Bar is far too important to the city and country as far as I am concerned. It should stay closed."

The experiment re-routed inbound traffic through the adjacent Victorian archway, which was previously used only by outbound vehicles.

A new traffic lights system was introduced to accommodate the extra vehicle flows.

First warned that unless the bar was reopened, another bus would have to be put on the route to maintain frequencies because of the extra delays caused for rush-hour services.

First stated that during the afternoon peak, it can take up to four cycles of the Walmgate Bar traffic lights for an inbound bus to get through the junction, and the outbound queue along Walmgate often stretches back about 300 yards.

But Peter Evely, head of highway regulation at the council, said extensive surveys of bus journey times by the authority conflicted with First's account of the impact on services, which he said was not based on statistical evidence but on drivers' information.

He said: "English Heritage say this is a very important national treasure and strongly urge the current arrangements to be made permanent."

Updated: 10:02 Thursday, June 02, 2005