Opposition Lib Dem councillors in York have called on Labour to explain how they will protect the city against potential terrorist attacks if they go ahead as expected and reverse a controversial ban on blue badge access to the city centre.

The authority’s Labour Executive who meet on Thursday have been presented with three options in a report by the authority’s director of environment, transport and planning, James Gilchrist:

  • Option 1: Create two levels of anti-terror security in the city centre, with the ‘highest risk’ area around Parliament Street accessible to emergency vehicles only, but blue badge access permitted to the same outer areas of the city centre
  • Option 2: Do nothing and maintain the existing blue badge ban
  • Option 3: Keep all the counter-terror measures which have been installed in place – and allow blue-badge holders access anyway to the whole city centre. Under this option, security guards stationed at entry points to the city centre could grant access for cars carrying people with blue badges

Reversing the blue badge ban introduced on security grounds in November 2021 by the previous Lib Dem/ Green administration was a key Labour election pledge.

But Lib Dems in York claim that Option 3 – which they see as Labour’s most likely option – conflicts with advice from counter-terrorism experts – and could also cost £200,000 a year to maintain staffed entry points.

Mr Gilchrist’s report to Thursday’s Executive states that under Option 3 there would be a ‘risk …that vehicles within the secure zone can be commandeered and used as a weapon’.

- READ MORE: 'Stick to promise on reversing blue badge ban' council chiefs urged

Speaking in the wake of the devastating attacks on Israel by Hamas, leader of the York Liberal Democrat group, Cllr Nigel Ayre, said: “The Labour administration has a very serious decision to make at the council Executive meeting.

“If they do decide to allow vehicles into the secure zone in the city centre during foot street hours they must explain how they plan to mitigate against the real risk of a terrorist attack.

"We also need to understand what conversations have been had with the police and whether the police are likely to use their powers to immediately issue an order to prevent motorists - including blue badge holders - from accessing the secure zone during footstreet hours.

“The previous administration was working to put in place a range of actions - such as more blue badge parking and a city centre shuttle - designed to enable access to the city centre whilst adhering to the very clear advice from police and counter-terrorism experts.

“This work seems to have been largely put on hold by the new administration, which is disappointing.

“Any solution should prevent all non-essential car access within the city walls and where access can be achieved by other means this should be prioritised.”