Poppleton Bar Park&Ride in York 'may be open by Easter'

The huge car park just to the west of York has been closed since March 2020, when it was brought into use as a Covid testing site at the UK Health Security Agency’s request.

But its use as a testing site ended last summer, since when the Park&Ride has stood empty. Access to it is barred by gates - even though the next-door electric charging hyper-hub is open.

Press reader Ken Thorpe, who lives in Upper Poppleton, says information boards on the A59 still advertise the Park&Ride – as do signs elsewhere on the A1237 ring road.

A large sign in a field next to the Park&Ride which can be seen from the A59 does, however, say that the site is temporarily closed. It suggests people use the Rawcliffe Bar Park&Ride two miles along the ring road instead.

Deserted: The Poppleton Bar Park&Ride site (Image: Stephen Lewis)

Mr Thorpe said: “The site was used during the pandemic by the NHS for Covid testing. It was closed at least 12 months ago. Since then, the site has been neglected and is in a disgusting state.

“I expected it to be reopened for the summer and for Christmas shoppers - not only for the use of Rural West residents but for the constant stream of visitors from far and wide to the city who, on approach, are advised to use the facility.

“But no, it remains unopened. It's a disgrace and does not encourage anyone to visit our city.”

James Gilchrist, the director of transport, environment and planning at City of York Council, said the plan originally had been to reopen the site last autumn.

But a delay in receiving Bus Service Improvement Plan (BSIP) funding from the Department for Transport, coupled with a national bus driver shortage, had made this impossible without having a ‘severely negative impact on other routes’, he said.

A 'this site is temporarily closed' sign in a field beside the A59 (Image: Stephen Lewis)

“We have now received our 2022/23 BSIP funding allocation, although - despite a significant ongoing recruitment marketing campaign - First remain short-staffed,” Mr Gilchrist added.

A paper presented to the council’s executive in December recommended that the council continued to work with First York ‘with the objective of restoring the Poppleton Bar service by Easter 2023’, Mr Gilchrist said.

“All other Park&Ride sites remain in operation across the city and the signage in place encourages people to continue to use those rather than drive into the city centre,” he said.

The 600-space Poppleton Bar Park&Ride opened in June 2014 as part of a £22.7 million pound project that also included a larger Park&Ride at Askham Bar.

Buses at the site aimed to be able to carry passengers into the centre of York in 15 minutes.

The council said at the time that the new Park&Ride sites at Poppleton and Askham Bar would 'help cut congestion levels along routes into the city centre as well as offer low prices and free parking'.