Council leaders have defended the newly-approved Castle and Eye of York scheme amid opposition claims they offer less for more compared to previous plans.
Cllr Katie Lomas, Labour’s major projects spokesperson, said she was pleased that a paved events space and inappropriate multi-storey car park had been ditched from the scheme.
But Liberal Democrat opposition leader Cllr Nigel Ayre said the cost of a previously shovel-ready scheme had gone through the roof despite losing the space, car park and a footbridge.
It comes as the redevelopment of the area around Clifford’s Tower, which is set to see Castle Car Park closed and turned into a park and play area, was approved by City of York Council last Tuesday (4 November).
The project is also set to see £200,000-worth of improvements made to the Coppergate Multi-Storey Car Park to try and offset the loss of 268 spaces due to the redevelopment.
Councillors heard the project was facing a shortfall of up to £1.5 million and external funding would be sought to plug it.
Filling the gap with money from the council’s capital budgets remains a fall back option.
The overall cost of the scheme, including the improvements to Coppergate car park and hostile vehicle measures, is forecast to be up to £9.934 million.
An estimated £500,000 in income is set to be lost from the closure of Castle Car Park but council officials believe its patrons will mainly use other sites.
Plans drawn up under the previous Liberal Democrat and Green coalition and approved in 2022 would now cost almost £16 million if they had been taken forward, councillors heard in January.
Those plans included a four-storey multi-storey car park at St George’s Field and a footbridge over the River Foss, neither of which are part of plans approved on Tuesday.
Liberal Democrat opposition leader Cllr Ayre said the current version of the scheme would increase traffic on Piccadilly and ditching the events space would harm the city’s economy.
Labour major projects executive member Cllr Lomas said changes had made the scheme greener and the council should not build a new multi-storey car park in the modern age.
Council deputy leader Cllr Pete Kilbane said losing the footbridge was very difficult but it would be too costly and too harmful to sensitive wildlife.
York BID Executive Director Andrew Lowson also told the meeting there was some nervousness among businesses about Castle Car Park’s closure but improvements to the area were welcome.
