A city centre that’s family-friendly, welcoming - and buzzing even in the evening.

That’s the vision for York’s future set out in a new document produced by the city council following months of consultation.

The My City Centre document brings together suggestions from local residents and businesses about how to make York a ‘better place for people to live, work and enjoy’.

The council says people are at the heart of a vision intended to shape the way the city centre develops over the next ten years.

“People create the noise, soul and life of a city,” the vision document says. “A vibrant and popular place will attract people and support shops and services.”

York people have until September 30 to have their say on the proposals - you can do so at www.york.gov.uk/MyCityCentreYorkVision.

A ‘refined’ version of the document will then go to the council’s Executive for approval on November 18.

Once the vision is approved, the council says that ‘funding streams will be developed to help deliver a finalised My City Centre vision. The council will also bid for Government funding and work with city partners’.

The ‘vision’ document is arranged around eight themes.

 

1. A family-friendly city centre

Locals complain the city centre is used more by visitors than residents. They say there are issues with affordability, access, facilities and, at times, a ‘threatening’ atmosphere.

To tackle these, the vision suggests a raft of measures, including:

  • creating small children’s play spaces around the city centre
  • more city centre cultural activities
  • improved public toilets
  • covered markets or arcades people can use in bad weather
  • more ‘experience-based’ attractions such as escape rooms, mini-golf and even axe-throwing

 

2. Events and public spaces

People consulted said they wanted more investment in public spaces, squares and ‘secondary’ shopping areas. They’d also like to see events spread across the city centre rather than always being in Parliament Street. It should be easier and cheaper to hold community events, they say, and there should be more support for markets.

The vision documents suggests:

  • investment (some private) in new and improved public spaces
  • new public spaces at the Eye of York, York Central and in the Minster precinct
  • a ‘trail-based’ approach to events
  • working with Make It York to improve the operating hours and flexibility of Shambles Market

 

3. An attractive city at all times

York Press:

Café culture - but could this be extended into the evening?

Many locals said they were sometimes put off visiting the city centre in the evening and on Saturday afternoons because of an ‘unwelcoming’ atmosphere. The vision says: “Our ambition is to manage the city better at these busy times, whilst encouraging residents and visitors to also visit in quieter periods.”

It suggests:

  • building on the success of pavement cafés by developing a ‘permanent approach to outdoor eating and café culture’
  • more support for businesses to stay open in the evening
  • more activities and attractions on mid-week evenings, and promotion of an evening ‘café culture’
  • strengthening the work of ‘multi-agency safety partnerships’

 

4. Making tourism work for York

Tourism brings money and jobs into York - but it also causes problems. The jobs are often poorly paid - and residents complain that the city centre is more geared up for visitors than locals.

The vision suggests:

  • developing a ‘sustainable’ tourism strategy that improves the benefits and reduces the negative impacts of tourism, eg by attracting visitors who would stay longer, and by promoting cultural and family visits.
  • A ‘York Gift’ scheme to encourage visitors to contribute to the cost of looking after the city centre

 

5. Embracing our riversides

York Press:

The recent Dragon Boat races. We should make more use of York's rivers, the document says. Picture: Matthew Lightfoot

York too often turns its back on its rivers. The vision document wants to change this. It suggests:

  • more recreation on the rivers
  • encouraging walking and cycling along ‘river corridors’
  • building a new footbridge over the Foss at Piccadilly as part of the Castle Gateway
  • supporting a walkway between City Screen and Ouse Bridge behind Coney Street
  • exploring plans for a pedestrian bridge over the Ouse between North Street Gardens and City Screen

 

6. A city centre which is welcoming to all

  • York city centre is home to about 8,000 people. “We must ensure that these residents have the resources and facilities to live happy successful lives” the vision document says. It suggests:
  • new ‘city living’ opportunities - including affordable housing
  • better public spaces
  • better maintained street surfaces
  • more dropped kerbs and seats
  • making the city centre more ‘age friendly’ and ‘dementia friendly’

 

7. Thriving businesses and no empty buildings

The high street is changing. The aim of the My City Centre vision is to create a city centre that remains vibrant, busy and full of life.

Ideas include:

  • more support to help city centre businesses thrive and adapt
  • ‘pop-up’ use of empty buildings
  • encouraging use of the empty upper floors of buildings
  • supporting tours and experiences to explore historic empty buildings

 

8. Celebrating heritage and making modern history

York Press:

Magnificent Minster. A 'living heritage app' might allow people to appreciate the city's heritage more, the document says

Suggestions include:

  • giving greater weight to heritage and history as a ‘material consideration’ in planning
  • encouraging commercial re-use of empty historic buildings
  • developing a ‘living heritage app’ to enable people to ‘engage with the historic city around them, in real time, on their mobile devices.’

 

REACTION TO THE VISION

City of York Council leader Cllr Keith Aspden said: “York is facing big challenges - from changing consumer behaviour and transformation of our high streets, recovery from the Covid pandemic, growing environmental challenges and much more. My City Centre places the voices of our residents and businesses at the heart of our response to those challenges.”

York Press:

Andrew Morrison, chief executive of York Civic Trust, said: “A vision for York’s city centre needs to be bold, ambitious and inclusive. The council and its partners must robustly address the issues that exist today and continue to proactively address those that manifest in the future. It cannot be a document that is produced, shelved and dusted off when needs be. The draft vision has to be the beginning of a continuous adequately resourced 10-year stream of activity involving businesses, cultural providers and the citizens of York at every step.”

Cllr Claire Douglas, Labour’s economy spokesperson on City of York Council, said: “This in large part brings together various pieces of work that are either already agreed or already in the planning, so it’s unclear how the consultation residents participated in has influenced the final vision. Labour welcomes an increased focus on creating a family-friendly city centre. (However), for all the claims of the city being welcoming to all, the current Lib Dem-Green Council persists with plans to push many disabled people out of being able to visit the city centre. For many York residents, much of this vision will have a hollow ring to it.”

Phil Bixby and Helen Graham of My Future York, who worked on the My Castle Gateway consultation, said:

“We welcome the publishing of the draft vision. It’s good to see the challenges of reappraising the role of tourism and the future use of historic places brought into focus. Likewise turning to face the rivers and their challenges of balancing access and amenity with flood resilience and safety – there are lots of opportunities here to engage with the people of the city to turn this into reality.”