The cost of turning Castle Car Park into a public space has risen by up to £1.5 million.
Between £400K and £900K of this increase would be to install hostile vehicle mitigation measures – the anti-terror initiative which has seen a ring of bollards installed around York city centre.
However, this additional security would allow the council to raise money from the site “through the protected area being used for community and other events,” a City of York Council report says.
Plans to turn the car park into public realm, including a new green park and children’s play area, were drawn up after the original, more ambitious Castle Gateway scheme had to be scaled down due to lack of funding.
The budget for the new scheme was put at £8.434 million, met by City of York Council (£3.911m) and the West Yorkshire Combined Authority (£4.523m).
An update going to the council’s executive this week puts the new scheme costs at £9.934 million.
That includes the anti-terror measures, and improvements to Coppergate Car Park to mitigate the effects of losing 268 parking spaces next to Clifford’s Tower.
The council report says “additional borrowing or funding of £1-1.5m is required for the project
to be deliverable against current funding availability”.
“There is currently no external source for the funding shortfall,” the report says. “In the first instance, additional external funding will be sought from partners including through the York Investment Prospectus, and North Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority’s transport funds.
“It is necessary to identify a fallback position should external funding not be secured. To avoid
any new borrowing, it would be necessary for existing schemes in the Capital programme to be de-prioritised to transfer funding to the Castle Gateway scheme.”
It also says that, if the scheme was dropped and the Castle Car Park retained, it would need improvements costing £750,000.
The council is also asked to give the go-ahead for the closure of Castle Car Park and for the improvements to Coppergate Car Park.
The report will be considered at the executive meeting tomorrow (Tuesday).
