The decision to close York’s Christmas Market one day a week this year has divided opinion.
City of York Council’s executive approved plans to close the market on Tuesdays to improve access to the city centre, despite warnings it could cost between £2.6 million and £7.82 million in lost spending.
Cllr Pete Kilbane, the council’s Labour economy spokesperson, said they would not bar some from the city centre during the event but they had a difficult balance to strike.
The move follows traffic restrictions which saw vehicles including Blue Badge holders barred from driving into the city centre when last year’s market was running.
Speaking at the executive meeting on Tuesday, May 12, Amanda Cooper of the York Disability Rights Forum said barring disabled people’s access to essential services was already causing stress for some.
Ms Cooper said: “There’s a deaf and bling person who nees to access the bank, restricting access causes them stress over their finances.
“It could also result in others going into financial difficulties or debt.”
Lee Clayton, who runs Nutty’s Emporium and has traded at the market for five years, said the closures may force him to do business elsewhere in the future.
The trader said ahead of the meeting: “A lost day’s trade, which is in effect five or six days across the whole market, is crippling for a small business like myself.
“It be a real shame as I love being part of the market for both the success it brings my business and the atmosphere it creates.”
Disability rights activist Flick Williams said she was dismayed by what she said was the ableism from some in the business community in the run up to the decison.
The campaigner said: “Disabled people aren’t a homogenous mass with the same access needs.
“Businesses who say we just need to suck it up in response to being totally excluded for six weeks of the year might do well to examine their own access arrangements.”
Resident Gwen Swinburn said she was concerned about the financial, legal and safety risks if the council is liable for anything which happens as a result of the closures.
York Access Forum’s Diane Rowarth said running the market all week shut disabled people out of the city through no choice of their own.
Ms Rowarth said: “York city centre must be a place for all residents, disabled people have been excluded for a whole period during the Christmas Market.
“This isn’t a perfect solution, but it’s one day a week more than we have now.”
Rob Collins, owner of Parliament Street’s Days café, said his business relied on earnings during the market to tide them through January, February and March.
The café owner said: “A city centre full of empty chalets will kill it for one day a week.
“This is one of the worst times in history for the hospitality industry, we need your support not another nail in the coffin.”
Marketing profession Charlotte Bodman said she feared that getting the message out about rest days would be difficult.
She said: “Visitors who arrive on a closed Tuesday are unlikely simply to return another day, many will have planned specific travel dates, overnight stays or day trips around their visit.
“Reducing trading days sets a precedent that may prove difficult to reverse.”
Concerns over the effects of the closures were also raised by York’s Business Improvement District (BID), High Street Forum, Made in Yorkshire and the Grand Yorkshire steam train tours company.
North Yorkshire Police requested an Anti-Terror Traffic Regulation Order (ATTRO) to deter terror attacks and the restrictions are now available for use all year round on a case-by-case basis.
Police and counter-terror advice ahead of Tuesday was that keeping the market open all week offered the most security but said the decision rested with the council.
Measures approved for this year would see Blue Badge holders allowed onto the ‘Goodramgate loop’ on Tuesdays between Deansgate, King’s Square and Colliergate but Church Street would be closed.
Rest days will be trialled this year, with a return to a seven-day-a-week market not ruled out as council officials work on long-term solutions to access issues.
