ONE of York's most historic streets is set to be pedestrianised after a city-centre survey found broad public support for banning vehicles from it.

But the proposals to keep traffic out of High Petergate at busy times of the day have been vigorously opposed by some residents and businesses.

City councillors are being recommended to give their seal of approval to the pedestrianisation plan at a planning meeting on Thursday.

It would bring High Petergate into line with other city centre streets where pedestrians are given top priority over cars and cyclists.

In its survey, the City of York Council interviewed 500 people at five points in the city centre and asked them whether the scheme was a good or a bad idea, bearing in mind the loss of car parking and access.

Six out of 10 gave it the thumbs up, two out of 10 were opposed and the rest said they did not know.

Today, cyclists said the plans to exclude them flew in the face of national guidelines.

Paul Hepworth, a spokesman for the Cyclists' Touring Club, said: "The Department of Transport now advises that cyclists and pedestrians can peacefully co-exist on roads which are closed to motor vehicles."

But highways officers are keen to give pedestrians top priority and believe allowing cyclists access to the narrow historic street would compromise their safety.

The Bootham Bar Hotel In High Petergate had protested that it needed vehicle access for its guests, but the officers said it was reasonable to expect them to be dropped off or picked up from outside the nearby Bootham Bar.

Taxi drivers asked for an exception, arguing that High Petergate was an important route for them.

Cabbie Dave Corbishley said today: "It is bad news because it will become extremely difficult for us and many drivers will be deterred from using the Duncombe Place rank."

But the council said that since taxis formed a considerable proportion of High Petergate's traffic, it would defeat the object to exclude them.

The doctor's surgery in High Petergate will be granted certain exceptions for its patients.

Ben Hudson, a partner at Langleys Estate Agent on the street said: "We are not living in a theme park. If you make it difficult for people to come in, businesses will be forced outside."

The York Civic Trust, which has given the proposals its blessing from day one, went one step further and asked whether the portcullis at Bootham Bar could be lowered for historic effect during pedestrian hours.

A decision on this will be postponed because of the implications for the emergency services.

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