Plans to close Castle Car Park which a councillor branded a festering pustule have been welcomed as fresh details have emerged about the Eye of York scheme.
Councillors heard small-scale community gatherings such as markets could be held in the green space set to replace the car park despite plans for a paved events area being dropped.
Cllr Katie Lomas, major projects spokesperson for City of York Council’s Labour administration, said they had decided to opt for a more family-friendly and regularly used park instead of a hard-standing space.
But questions were asked about safety and accessibility at Coppergate Car Park, where £200,000 upgrades and 24-hour opening are planned, traffic and the future of a proposed footbridge over the River Foss.
The comments at the council’s Corporate Scrutiny Committee come as officials look to start work on the project, the latest version of which was unveiled in July.
Current estimates put the cost of the project at between £9.2m and £9.7m, excluding the proposed upgrades to the Coppergate Centre Car Park.
Current plans would see the 298-space Castle Car Park grassed over with a park and play space, losing up to £500,000-a-year in income, though 30 Blue Badge bays will remain.
The car park would close next spring and CCTV and cosmetic upgrades are planned at the Coppergate site which usually operates below its capacity, according to the report.
The plans are subject to a final sign off by the council’s executive.
Councillors heard on Wednesday (1 October) Castle Car Park currently brought in about a fifth of its yearly parking income, but officials expected its patrons would mostly use other sites.
They heard its closure was in line with wider council efforts to discourage car journeys into the city centre.
Liberal Democrat Cllr Tony Fisher said he welcomed the car park’s closure.
The committee member said: “I’ve always thought Castle Car Park was a festering pustule on the face of York.
“It desperately needs getting rid of, its surface is like craters on the Moon.”
Labour’s Cllr Dave Merrett said he welcomed the closure but improvements to Coppergate’s car park should aim to address concerns from some about safety and accessibility.
Cllr Merrett said: “Research has shown women particularly like Castle Car Park because it was open and subject to observation and they disliked multi-storey car parks because of those issues.
“Disabled parking’s on the top floor of Coppergate which isn’t the most accessible, there’s only one lift which has broken down in the past leaving disabled people isolated.”
Councillors heard there were no plans to install additional lifts but the maintenance programme for the existing one could be looked at as part of the planned improvements.
Green Party activist Andy D’Agorne told councillors the plans felt like a missed opportunity to realise the original vision of the scheme, including with a footbridge over the River Foss.
He added improvements to Coppergate’s car park should include secure cycle storage and signs to tell drivers if it is full before they turn on to Piccadilly.
Mr D’Agorne said: “Integral to this work must be bus priority into Piccadilly and a reconfigured layout near the Coppergate car park entrance to make the left turn easier but still maintain clear passage for buses.
“It’s clearly not acceptable for bus services to be delayed by 15 minutes or more by getting stuck in a queue for the car park.”
The meeting heard the planned footbridge over the River Foss had been decoupled from the rest of the scheme because of the environmental significance of its proposed location.
Councillors also heard officials would look into cycle parking and signs for the car park as part of a seperate scheme.
Council city development lead Garry Taylor said the installation of electrics would allow small-scale community events to be held in the planned park.
Major Projects Executive Member Cllr Lomas said the forthcoming York Central development was thought to be a better location to host larger events.
