Later opening time for Christmas market confirmed

All vehicles except those belonging to emergency services will be barred from city centre streets for the duration of the Christmas market

The opening time of York's Christmas Market has been delayed to ease the impact on blue badge holders.

The city council has delayed the daily start of the market by 30 minutes to 10:30 GMT to give people with disabilities more time to get in and out of the city during the six-week event, which runs from 13 November.

It follows approval of a police request for an Anti-Terror Traffic Regulation Order (ATTRO) during the event, meaning no vehicles except emergency services will be allowed on city centre streets while the market is open, between 10:30 and 19:00.

Council leader Claire Douglas said it had effectively no choice but to agree with the arrangements for this year after the police request.

She said: "We will consider all aspects of how the Christmas Market functions, and if it can't accommodate all residents it has to function differently.

"There needs to be an absolute focus on making this work, we can't go on like this every year."

Councillor Claire Douglas said aspects of the market could be changed in future

North Yorkshire Police Chief Constable Tim Forber said the ATTRO was needed to deter vehicle attacks which have targeted Christmas markets and other gatherings.

But people with disabilities have said the order would restrict their ability to reach services and shops in the city centre during the festive season.

Officials are set to look at the case for the market and at the way it and other events are managed, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Arrangements approved on Tuesday include temporarily turning a loading bay in Duncombe Place into blue badge parking spaces, and £5,000 to fund free mobility aid hires through charity Shopmobility.

Exemptions to the ATTRO have also been made for council waste collection and disposal vehicles along with Boots and Royal Mail delivery drivers.

Other vehicles left in the area after 10:30 GMT will be served penalty charge notices and towed for violating a loading and waiting ban in place during the event.

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