Street party to put brakes on traffic

A STREET which is home to one of York's most prized parades of shops is being closed to traffic for an evening to mark an international car-free conference in the city.

Bishopthorpe Road will be sealed off to vehicles when a street party is held on July 1, the final day of the UK's first Towards Carfree Cities event.

The party is being staged by the conference organisers along with York Council and Friends of the Earth, and is also aimed at raising the profile of traders in Bishopthorpe Road.

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The street will close to traffic from 6.30pm until 10pm and shops will remain open throughout the evening. The street party will include stalls and al-fresco eating and drinking as well as music and Morris dancers.

Towards Carfree Cities, which starts on June 28, is expected to attract more than 100 campaigners, academics and architects from four continents. Delegates are due to travel from as far afield as Australia, Columbia and South Africa.

Previous conferences have taken place in Lyon, Berlin, Istanbul, Bogot and Portland, although this is the first time the event has been held in the UK since it was first staged in 1997.