York: Mannetti’s café hits out at council for closing Lendal

Marie Milburn, a director at Mannetti’s, in Lendal, has criticised what she describes as a “lack of consideration” from City of York Council following the closure of the road as part of work to install anti-terrorism barriers in the street.

She says the closure will have a big financial blow to the business, as it will no longer be able to offer outside seating and may lose passing trade

As The Press reported last week, Lendal closed on Monday (April 24) and is to reopen on June 2.

Work begins in Lendal (Image: Dylan Connell)

The closure means that cars cannot access the road, and one side of the footpath at the entrance to the street from Museum Gardens has been blocked off for pedestrians.

• Permanent anti-terrorism barriers to be installed in York city centre
• City of York Council warned by Government Minister over anti-terror measures

Marie explained how Mannetti’s, which is run by her daughter, Kate Milburn, opened in 2019 and has just started to turn a profit after navigating the pandemic and rising energy costs.

The café can no longer offer outside seating due to the work (Image: Dylan Connell)

Mannetti's during the work (Image: Dylan Connell)

The 67-year-old, who lives in Easingwold, said the café was first officially told of the closure by a leaflet provided by the contractor carrying out the work last Tuesday (April 18).

She said the council had not been in touch about the work before this.

When she was first informed of the closure, Marie said she suffered a transient global amnesia episode – an episode of confusion that comes on suddenly in a person who is otherwise alert.

Work is underway to install the new safety measures in Lendal (Image: Dylan Connell)

Marie described it as her brain “shutting down” and said it meant she has lost a day’s memory.

The episodes can be caused by extreme stress, which Marie believed was triggered by the news of the closure.

“It’s 100 per cent from that,” she said.

Marie explained how a large amount of trade comes from the outside seating at the café, which can no longer be offered due to limited space because of the work.

“When that goes, we won’t be making a profit,” she said.

The outdoor seating prior to the work (Image: Dylan Connell)

Despite the road still being open to pedestrians, the director fears that potential customers will be put off from walking along Lendal during the closure.

She said the business relies heavily on passing trade, with the bulk of footfall coming from the Museum Gardens end of Lendal – where the footpath has been restricted.

Marie said signage informing of the closure in St Helen’s Square is also likely to deter people from continuing along Lendal, even though it states, “business open as usual”.

“That will kill us," she said.

"One per cent of our trade comes from there.”

Signs in St Helen's Square warning of the closure (Image: Dylan Connell)

Marie went on to say that other businesses on the street are likely to be affected in the same way, adding: “I’m not going to stand on my soap box and say it’s just us being affected – it will affect everyone on this street.”

City of York Council has been approached by The Press for comment, and the response will be published when it has been received.