Plans to open Coppergate car park 24-hours a day

Improving Coppergate car park would help reduce the impact of the loss of Castle car park, a report said

A multi-storey car park could be opened for 24-hours a day to cope with the potential loss of more than 250 spaces near York's Clifford's Tower.

City of York Council wants to replace the existing 268-space Castle Car Park with a park and play area as part of its Castle and Eye of York redevelopment scheme.

To mitigate the loss, the authority has put forward plans to extend the opening hours at the nearby Coppergate Centre Car Park and invest £200,000 in the facility.

The proposals are set to be discussed by senior councillors next month.

According to a council report the Coppergate car park is under-used for much of the year.

It adds that changing to 24-opening would help the council deal with an estimated loss of £500,000-a-year in income from the closure of Castle car park.

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, the proposal forms part of an update on plans to upgrade the area around Clifford's Tower at a cost of up to £9.9m.

If the latest plans are approved Castle car park would close next spring, though 30 blue badge spaces would remain.

Plans for the Clifford's Tower area include replacing the car park with an open space and water feature

The report states that "the re-purposing of Castle car park will bring significant benefits to the city and dramatically improve the setting for the nationally important historic buildings and heritage assets in the area".

It adds that options are also currently being explored to improve and increase the capacity at the nearby St Georges Field car park, and to open Park and Rides overnight.

The proposal to open Coppergate car park 24-hours a day is due to be discussed at the council's Corporate Scrutiny Committee on 1 October.

Listen to highlights from North Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.