PROMPTED by Cllr Crawshaw’s letter (February 16) about ‘new car parks’, including York Central, I watched the webcast of the relevant planning committee on March 25, 2019.

There were excellent contributions from York Civic Trust, Environment Forum and Cllr Kramm, with responses from consultants regarding traffic projections and mitigation.

There were questions from Cllr Crawshaw, mostly about density of housing, and from myself mostly about traffic plans and securing the commitment that parking levels would be tightly controlled, with more funding contributions required for green travel if the Travel Plan fails to achieve lower traffic.

On the vote, Labour councillors abstained or supported, I was the only committee member to vote against.

Yes, all parties did support the Green climate emergency motion. Greens in this administration are delivering on this agenda: Castle Gateway plans feature closing the existing Castle Car Park to be transformed into open space, and replacing it by a smaller flood-proof car park on St George’s Fields.

The successful extension of footstreets could become permanent (supporting small independent businesses vital to our historic city centre), and areas of the city such as The Groves and Navigation Rd are already becoming trial ‘Low Traffic Neighbourhoods’. Upgraded junctions such as Monkgate are more pedestrian/ cycle friendly. Let’s all work together on it, Jonny.

Cllr Andy D’Agorne

Green Party group leader,

Broadway West, York