MORE than £2 million will be spent on installing anti-terror blocks across York city centre - after council chiefs gave the plans the green light.

Senior councillors agreed to the plans - which will see sliding bollards put up at both ends of High Ousegate, the junctions between St Helen’s Square and Coney Street and St Helen’s Square and Davygate, and at the end of Church Street where it meets St Sampson’s Square.

Fixed bollards will also go up at the top of Jubbergate at Shambles market, between Finkle Street and Back Swinegate, and on the path between Coppergate and High Ousegate.

The scheme will cost £2,062,000 - which includes the £21,000 price of the temporary Christmas blocks.

Six extra CCTV cameras are also going to be installed.

The new measures will be more appropriate than the temporary blocks installed over Christmas - which council officers called “unattractive and inflexible”.

Cllr Andy D’Agorne said at an executive meeting: “If you look at the bollards which are already in place at the top of Parliament Street, they’re much less intrusive than the temporary measures that were in over Christmas.”

He said there are concerns about the cost - but the scheme will also have the benefit of enforcing the pedestrian hours in the city centre, something he said there have been many complaints about.

And he said only emergency services and people in genuine need of a vehicle will be allowed to enter during foot-street hours.

One resident told councillors the money would be better spent on fixing roads and helping vulnerable residents in need. Andrew Dickinson said: “That anyone in this city should be forced to use a food bank should shame every one of us.

“Countless people have died as a result of these inhumane, and frankly appalling cuts – all in the name of austerity. We are told it is because there is no money.”

But councillors approved the scheme with council leader Keith Aspden saying: “Whilst I acknowledge this is a significant amount of money we have a responsibility to ensure residents and visitors are safe and we follow the advice of the counter terrorism unit to do that.”