Plans which aim to tackle congestion in the run up to Christmas at York Designer Outlet have been lodged.

An overflow staff car park with 340 spaces would run during November and December under plans from the shopping centre’s owners.

The plans stated they aimed to tackle the long queues of cars trying to leave York Designer Outlet when visitor and staff numbers swell ahead of Christmas.

But they follow the withdrawal of similar plans last year after council planning officers called for refusal of the scheme due concerns for the green belt and over traffic.

The plans would see a temporary car park set up on land south of the shopping centre and its Park and Ride, off St Nicholas Avenue near Fulford.

York Designer Outlet’s car park currently has room for up to 2,700 parking spaces, with up to 1,000 of those used by the Park and Ride.

Around 1,600 workers are employed across the Outlet’s 115 units, not including those providing other services or those based off site.

A typical day sees between 600 and 700 staff onsite at any one time while 200 to 500 parking spaces are usually occupied by Park and Ride users.

But planning documents stated the amount of staff on site increases to between 800 and 900 at any one time during Christmas while customer numbers go up significantly.

A queue of cars driving out of York Designer Outlet, St Nicholas Avenue, YorkA queue of cars driving out of York Designer Outlet, St Nicholas Avenue, York

The busiest days ahead of Christmas can also see up to 1,000 bus tickets sold to get to the Park and Ride, compared with usual daily averages of around 200.

Plans stated that the result was long queues for cars and buses leaving the outlet and long waits for bus passengers at the Park and Ride.

Cars are also parked on landscaped areas of the shopping centre and the grass verge along St Nicholas Avenue.

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Queues of cars also cause problems for driver visibility, posing a danger to pedestrians.

Plans stated that creating overflow parking for staff during November and December was considered the best way of dealing with congestion in a managed way.

It added staff traffic could be diverted onto a 1.15ha site, taking pressure off the main car park as they typically arrive earlier than customers.

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The plans stated: “The Designer Outlet and Park and Ride operation each make major contributions to the success of the economy of the city.

“However, at these peak times the parking capacity of the Outlet’s 2,700 spaces is exceeded, leading to significant unauthorised parking, causing severe congestion which inhibits the efficient running of each.

“The visitor experience is downgraded, people experience long delays to their visit and tempers become frayed, all to the detriment of the reputation of York’s visitor economy.”

The plans lodged with York Council follow an application for a 200-space temporary car park which were submitted but withdrawn in December.

Council planning officers recommended refusing the plans due to the car park being set up in the green belt and the unknown effect of traffic on nearby roads.

The latest application stated traffic would be largely unaffected because the car park would be used by those who would travel to the outlet regardless.

They added the green belt status of the proposed site presented an obstacle to getting approval but the car park would only run for two months a year.

Plans also stated there had been a number of approvals for temporary events including an ice rink, funfair, summer beach and 12-hole pitch and put course.