Clutter targeted in historic city seeking to attract more visitors

York Council has drawn up proposals which are aimed at combating problems including intrusive signs, overly-loud street performances and poor quality pavements and roads, which regeneration experts have admitted are undermining efforts to bring more tourists and shoppers to the city centre.

A draft strategy that has been published acknowledges the complexity of York’s warren of medieval streets but stresses the need to introduce a range of improvements for the city centre. The blueprint is part of the Reinvigorate York scheme, which is part of a £3.3m investment into the city centre over the next two years.

Reinvigorate York’s chairman, Sir Ron Cooke, said: “York’s most valuable asset is its outstanding, internationally important heritage. The quality of the streetscape in the city centre is an essential ingredient of this resource.

“The city centre attracts over seven million visitors a year, multitudes of local and distant shoppers, and over a quarter of the working population uses it daily.

“It is one of the main ways the city attracts entrepreneurs, investors, employees and students. Its future vitality depends substantially on how it is used, cherished and maintained.”

While York is famed for its heritage, concerns have been expressed about the state of the city centre.

York Civic Trust has spearheaded a campaign to remove clutter and repair unkempt lamp posts and signs.

Among the measures being considered is a ban on for sale signs, as the advent of house-hunting online has lessened the need to place boards on the actual properties on the market.

The council is also considering clamping down on the numbers of advertising boards, which are deemed to be a major hazard for pedestrians on the city centre pavements.

Plans are being drawn up to introduce recycling facilities as all waste collected in the city centre is sent to landfill sites, and a more co-ordinated approach is being considered to designate specific locations for street traders.

The need to preserve the city’s historic street fittings and fixtures, many of which date from the 1800s and include drain covers and rainwater channels, has also been highlighted, with the council acknowledging it needs to work closely with property owners to conserve the Victorian heritage.

The draft strategy has also set out plans to introduce more uniform street lighting and public seating, as well as liaising with utility companies to relocate electricity and telecommunications cabinets away from main thoroughfares.

The council’s cabinet member for planning, transport and sustainability, Coun Dave Merrett, said: “Our Reinvigorate York initiative is designed to make the most of York’s tremendous heritage and strengthen the city centre economy, recognising that there has been some deterioration of the streetscape.

“This is the city’s proposal for ensuring the quality of our diverse streets and spaces is well managed and provides a lasting legacy. It will be an indispensable baseline for future work in the city and extended in the future to address more fully the whole urban area.”

Efforts already underway to improve York’s streets won national acclaim earlier this year. The Government highlighted work to remove eyesores from York’s streets after Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin wrote to local authorities in January urging them to undertake reviews of traffic signs.

York Council undertook an audit and removed signs unless there was a clear need for them. The £1,000 pilot is expected to pay for itself in less than four years through reduced maintenance and energy costs.

An eight-week consultation has been launched on the proposed strategy setting out the new measures to glean the views of the public, and will run until July 31. More information is available at www.york.gov.uk/streetscapestrategy.