Residents have launched a legal challenge following a decision to grant permission to the National Railway Museum to build a new central hall and café across a road in York.

The group has engaged a Leeds-based firm of planning lawyers to pursue a judicial review of the planning committee’s decision.

A pre-action letter has been sent to City of York Council and to the National Railway Museum as a third party.

The development of the new central hall was approved after a knife-edge vote by the council’s planning committee on August 4.

Dr Paul Clarke, a resident of St Peter’s Quarter, who is leading the legal challenge on behalf of local residents

Planning committee chair Councillor Chris Cullwick used his deciding vote after a four-hour discussion about the plans, which will see the two halves of the museum united with a rotunda.

Welcoming the committee’s approval earlier this month director Judith McNicol said it would “allow the museum to realise its potential as the ‘world’s railway museum’ by improving our offer, welcoming more visitors, and helping us to inspire the next generation of engineers and problem-solvers”.

However the plans have attracted significant opposition from residents as Leeman Road – a direct, 24/7 route to and from the city centre for around 4,000 people – will be cut off.

Residents will only be able to get through the museum during opening hours, will have to queue at busy times, and bags could be searched.

An alternative route around the museum – around 400 metres longer – has to be in place before Leeman Road is closed.

Dr Paul Clarke, a resident of St Peter’s Quarter, who is leading the legal challenge on behalf of local residents, said despite efforts to engage with the council and museum over many years, they’d been “totally ignored”.

He added: “They have put commercial interests before the interests of the local community. The loss will severely impact the daily lives of thousands of local residents, particularly women, children, people with disabilities, and the elderly. It also removes a key north-south cycle corridor.

“The alternative route adds nearly half a kilometre to our journey, along a path that won’t feel safe after dark.

“The NRM has agreed to allow people to walk through during opening hours, but this only covers 50 per cent of journeys made by local residents and they will have to battle through hordes of visitors.

“We are not opposed to the York Central development or the expansion of the NRM. We are only asking for the retention of a direct, safe route, to and from the city centre for pedestrians and cyclists that is available all day, every day of the year.”

To help cover their legal expenses the group has launched a crowdfunder: https://www.crowdjustice.com/case/justice4leemanroad/

NRM says the Central Hall will connect the existing museum buildings and is a cornerstone of Vision 2025—the museum’s journey to transform its offer and become the world’s railway museum.

Central Hall itself will feature a Railway Futures Gallery showcasing the latest innovations in rail technology, a café overlooking the new museum square, a shop, flexible event space and new visitor facilities.

Work is expected to start in early 2023 with completion in time for the Museum’s 50-year anniversary in 2025.

'Ignored' York residents launch legal challenge against National Railway Museum plans