York: Shambles reopens with anti-terrorism bollards

Shambles is back open following extensive work to install the measures, which started on Monday, September 11.

The sliding bollards have been installed at the entrance to the historic street from Pavement. 

The new measures in place in Shambles (Image: Dylan Connell)

While work was carried out the entrance was closed to vehicles. At first it was also closed to pedestrians but access was reopened to those on foot as the work got underway. 

The work was disrupted when historic bones were found, which City of York Council says were likely to have been part of the St Crux burial ground. The bones were sent for analysis with York Archaeological Trust and the working hours on the street were extended.

During the closure traders in Shambles raised concern that the work had had a financial impact on takings and criticised the council for what they felt was a lack of communication with businesses in the street.

Shambles during the work (Image: Dylan Connell)The council’s executive member for economy and transport, Cllr Pete Kilbane, apologised for the disruption and said the bollards would send a “clear message to would-be terrorists and all in the city centre” that the council “won’t put people or businesses at risk”.

Meanwhile, work is being carried out elsewhere in the city centre to install the permanent measures first introduced by the former Liberal Democrat-Green administration to combat the threat of ‘vehicle as weapon attacks’.

Colliergate is set to close today (Monday, October 9) until Friday, November 17, while work is carried out to install the measures.

Colliergate is set to close today (Image: Dylan Connell)

Work to install bollards at the junction of Pavement and Parliament Street outside All Saints Church is due to start next Monday (October 16) lasting three weeks.  

The work was originally planned for after Christmas, but the council later moved the date forward.

Read next:

• Activists covered in oil outside bank in York in protest over new oil and gas field
• PICTURES: Crowds line the street as full might of the law parades through York
• Hidden History of York: a look back at the life of a domestic servant

James Gilchrist, the council’s director of transport, environment and planning previously said: “I’m very pleased that we are able to bring forward the work outside All Saints Church.

“This means that the more attractive, permanent measures will be in place during the busy Christmas period, and so minimise the locations where we will need to install temporary protection measures.”

Elsewhere in the city, work in Goodramgate is to be completed on Friday (October 13).

The bollards in Goodramgate (Image: Dylan Connell)

The council previously announced that the work had been delayed by three weeks due to contractors having to work around complex, existing underground pipes and cables.

Ongoing work in Minster Gates, which has seen the entrance to the street from Minster Yard close, has also been delayed and will now be completed on Friday, October 20.

The council cited “complex pipe and cable work” as the reason behind the delay.