''Open Museum Gardens for longer' plea to council and museums trust

They say if the gardens were open before 9am in the morning and later into the evening there would be ‘huge benefits’ to public health and enjoyment.

At the moment the gardens are open to the public only between 9am and 6pm, even on summer days.

The York Museums Trust,  which manages the gardens, said today it would 'review the opening hours as part of our normal business processes'. But it added that 'any extension of hours would require the resources to support this'.

Green campaigner – and York council’s former Green housing chief – Denise Craghill handed in a petition signed by 139 local people to the city council on Wednesday morning, urging the authority to work with the museums trust to ‘find a way of extending the opening times' of the gardens.

She told the authority’s executive member for health and wellbeing Cllr Jo Coles: "Museum Gardens are a huge asset for our city and many residents who have signed the petition have commented that they would like to be able to use them before and after work and as a pollution-free route to school.

“The preventative and therapeutic health benefits of access to beautiful green spaces are very well documented.

“It should also be seen as a matter of civic pride that residents and visitors are not faced with locked gates at 6pm on light Spring and Summer evenings.”

Green campaigners are calling for York's Museum Gardens to be kept open for longer in the summer (Image: Supplied)

Ms Craghill told Cllr Coles that the petition had also been presented to York Museums Trust.

“We really hope that a problem- solving approach can be taken to this and a solution found,” she said.

“The Gardens are not just a wonderful botanic collection with important heritage buildings but also an important green space that should be seen as a city asset. They need to be more accessible to residents and visitors.”

Ms Craghill said the petition had been signed by people from across York, including Marygate, Bootham, Clifton, the Groves, Haxby Road, Monkgate, Fishergate, Hull Road, Micklegate, Holgate and Acomb.

“All agree that the Museum Gardens is a major asset for the city and there would be huge benefits from being able to access the gardens earlier in the morning – before work and on the way to work and as a safe, un-polluted walking route to school – and after work in the evenings for exercise, socialising and relaxation,” she said.

“The health and well being benefits of free access to beautiful green open spaces are well documented. The Gardens are also a subject of civic pride as a beautiful part of our city that helps support the city centre economy. Finding the gates closed at 6pm even on light summer evenings isn’t good for either residents or visitors.”

Ms Craghill admitted that both the council and the Museums Trust were facing significant financial problems.

“Other solutions need to be found and we would suggest that this is a whole city issue and should involve a problem-solving approach with city partners in order to achieve a positive outcome,” she said.

Cllr Coles told the Press: "York Museums Trust is responsible for Museum Gardens and its opening hours. The council is happy to discuss this matter if YMT is willing to consider extending its current opening hours."

A spokesperson for York Museums Trust said: "It is wonderful to hear how much York Museum Gardens are enjoyed by so many visitors and residents.

"The gardens are free to enter and open throughout the year from 9 am - 6 pm for all to enjoy.

"We will review the opening hours as part of our normal business processes. However, any extension of hours would require the resources to support this, along with a consideration of how we manage the gardens as a safe space for all.

"As those who organised the petition acknowledge we do not wish to increase the workload for our much-loved gardening team who manage both the biodiversity and historic nature of the gardens so well."