RESIDENTS welcomed proposals for a new riverside walkway connecting parts of the city in the latest Castle Gateway consultation.

They were among those taking part in guided tours of the Castle Gateway site around Clifford’s Tower, Castle Museum, Castle car park and the Eye of York.

Designer Phil Bixby explained how it would look if the current proposals are put into effect.

Residents had plenty of questions about how the proposals would be maintained in good condition once they were installed, how the council would replace the £1.2 million paid by motorists using the car park annually, where cars could park after it closes and how anti-social behaviour in the Castle area, particularly at night, would be prevented.

City of York Council hopes to submit a planning application for the site’s transformation early next year.

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Helen Graham of the designers stressed that the newly revealed proposals are only suggestions and that no firm decisions have been made.

“The design is at an early stage,” she said. "The new council has changed priorities – more green space within the city centre, the decision made to retain the Blue Badge parking within the Castle car park.”

Her colleague Phil Bixby said the aim was to connect the Eye of York area better to the rest of the city centre, particularly for those on foot.

The car park would be replaced by an enlarged green space around Clifford’s Tower with planting to simulate a moat, 30 disabled parking bays and a wide green strip along the bank of the River Foss that would include a foot and cycle path from Piccadilly behind Coppergate along the riverbank.

The path would continue via  a raised board walk along the back of the part of Castle Museum which had been the Female Prison to the new pedestrian crossing on Castle Mills Road. It would also link to a footbridge across the River Foss.

This was welcomed by those on one of the guided tours, though one resident warned that unless the walk was tarmacked, the noise of people using the walk would be so intrusive it would make life a misery for those living in flats on the far side of the river.

Mr Bixby said a “quiet” garden could be constructed in what is now the car park next to the Female Prison and a child friendly area could be constructed in a different part of the car park.

The Eye of York would have an area catering for people going to the Museum, planting to screen the crown court and features reflecting the history of the area.

It could also be used to expand the museum café outdoors and house small scale events. Those on the tour raised concerns about whether the Eye of York's historic and ongoing use for large gatherings such as parades and during the Jorvik Viking Festival could continue.

How the Castle area could lookHow the Castle area could look (Image: Pic supplied)

Residents asked about places to shelter in rainy conditions and were told none are currently included in the proposals.

The proposals see the development taking place in stages, starting at Tower Street outside the Hilton Hotel.