A CONSULTATION will be held on plans to install anti-terror blocks in the city centre - but some councillors raised concerns about the amount of time it is taking for the bollards to be introduced.

City of York Council Executive discussed plans for the temporary blocks to be installed on the corner of St Sampson’s Square and Church Street and at the entrance to Coney Street outside the Mansion House.

The blocks are designed to protect the city centre from attacks where a vehicle is used as a weapon.

At the meeting, on September 27, Cllr Keith Aspden said a consultation should be carried out with businesses, residents and disabled people before the measures are made permanent.

But Cllr Denise Craghill said the council was told the measures were urgent nearly a year ago and questioned why it was taking so long for them to be installed.

Cllr Peter Dew, speaking at the meeting, said: "The police superintendent has commented that the sooner we get this in place the better. We don't want to spend a lot of time talking about it."

Cllr Janet Looker added: "I share the real anxiety that we don't seem to have actually got very far."

Cllr Andy D'Agorne said: "We do want to make sure that adequate mitigation is put in place for people with disabilities. The detail of what's here is actually trying to put in place something which is going to be far too slow to reassure people I can't see the sense in in having a trial which depends on coming through an area which you want to exclude vehicles from in the next stage of the programme."

Cllr Ian Gillies said: "This is about keeping our residents safe and I think part of the way forward is to actually find out information about where blue badge holders particularly and may well want to park what facilities we need to get them. We've not stood still at all but I think we don't want to go in without all the information regarding the traffic movements and the parking."