Staff at cafés on Lendal Bridge have said its closure next year for eight weeks of works could be a nightmare for their businesses.
Sophie Knight, the owner of the SOPHiE café, said she feared people could be put off sitting outside during weeks of construction and repair works.
Roddy McHugh, a barista at The Perky Peacock and Quirky Café, said he was worried that traffic diversions would leave him facing longer commutes home from work.
Cllr Kate Ravilious, York Council’s Labour transport spokesperson, said extensive planning was underway to try and minimise disruption for businesses and residents during the essential repairs.
It follows the decision on Tuesday, October 21 to tender the contract for £1.9 million repairs on Lendal Bridge which would begin in April next year, beginning after Easter.
The bridge would be closed to vehicles during the works but it will remain open to pedestrians and access will be maintained for nearby businesses.
Council officials are currently working on plans to keep access for cyclists in place during the refurbishment.
SOPHiE’s owner Ms Knight said she understood why the works were needed but she had concerns about the impact on trade at the start of the busy period of the year.
The business owner told the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS): “The works start in April and at that time we’re going into our busiest season.
“At that time of year we’ve got a lot of people who want to sit outside in our garden.
“Are customers going to want to sit outside while there’s construction works going on?
“Probably not, but the work needs doing.
“I’m also concerned about how this could affect deliveries, we’re open seven days a week and we have deliveries coming every day.
“We’ll still be open and we’ll want people to come and support our small, local business even more.”
Perky Peacock and Quirky Café Barista Mr McHugh, a student who lives in Fulford, said his hour-long bus journeys home after work could get longer due to traffic diversions.
He added he was worried business at both cafés, which share the same owner, could take a hit resulting in him and other staff being offered less shifts.
The barista said: “For me it’s not just about the disruption on one bridge in particular, the congestion in York now is like nothing I’ve ever seen.
“I finish work at 4pm, sometimes it can take me over an hour to get to Fulford as it is because its wall-to-wall traffic in the city centre in the afternoon, sometimes it’s quicker to walk.
“If cars can’t use Lendal Bridge then I’m worried it’ll be impossible for the traffic to move.
“Most of the people who visit the café come on foot but for staff who commute by bus it will be a nightmare.
“The noise will be awful during the works, a lot of tourists come to the cafés to sit in their gardens, that’s their biggest selling point.
“It’s a lovely environment where people come to relax by the river, that serenity’s going to be lost.
“I think that’s going to have a significant effect on the business, including losses.
“If that happens then there will be less of a need for staff, so it’s not ideal for us.”
The repair works are designed to address significant deterioration affecting the Grade II-listed Lendal Bridge.
Waterproofing on the structure, which was built in the 1860s, has failed leading to the corrosion of its steel work.
Council officials hope the refurbishments will protect the bridge’s long-term load capacity, eliminate regular emergency repairs and avoid more costly works in the future.
Funding is also set to be sought for extra non-essential works worth £1.3 million including repainting the bridge’s decorative features.
Those works would take an estimated 38 weeks and they would start at the same time as the essential repairs.
But they would only require one footway to be closed once the essential works are complete.
Council Transport Executive Member Cllr Ravilious said getting the bridge fixed would safeguard it for decades to come.
She added the council would work with businesses including on understanding their delivery patterns and ensuring people can still access them.
Cllr Ravilious said: “We are mindful that closing Lendal Bridge to vehicle traffic will impact many people’s journeys.
“We are carrying out extensive planning and will be in touch directly with nearby businesses and residents to minimise disruption.
“We will also be learning from other major roadworks that have recently taken place in the city centre too to ensure the city keeps moving and we will be making clear that York is open for business while these essential repair works take place.”
