York's car wars

The narrow streets have struggled to accommodate traffic ever since the end of the last war.

So the city developed an ambivalent attitude to the motorist. City fathers have long known the advantages for commerce and tourism of being car friendly. But they are aware that too much traffic soon detracts from the environment that brings so many people here.

This confused mindset was never more apparent than 30 years ago this week. York motorists were left wondering whether they were coming or going in the wake of two very different news stories.

The first was splashed over the front page of the Yorkshire Evening Press on Monday October 16, 1972, under the headline: York Plans To Oust Traffic.

"York Corporation today announced a plan to close many of the city's major road bottlenecks to traffic, except for access," the report began.

"The proposed ban on through traffic would affect the main shopping streets in two parts of the city centre."

The council planned to prevent cars going along Petergate from Duncombe Place, or into Goodramgate from Deangate to Church Street.

Traffic would also be barred in Coney Street, Market Street, Feasegate, New Street and the south side of Parliament Street from Market Street to High Ousegate and Spurriergate. Oh, and parking in Blake Street would be banned.

Today, when the footstreets have been worn down with shoe leather for almost exactly 15 years, it is hard to recall how radical this proposal must have seemed.

Deputy city engineer RD Waterman explained that the scheme would stop motorists dodging through the city to avoid the ring road.

"But mainly we are hoping that this will improve conditions for pedestrians, whether they be shoppers or tourists. The motorist can no longer expect to drive to any part of the city centre."

Surprisingly, the spokesman for the RAC was all in favour of the idea. "The pedestrian's life in York is pretty dangerous," he said. "But every possible effort must be made to provide additional parking."

This plea was echoed by the president of York Chamber of Trade, its spokesman describing York's parking provision as pathetic.

Perhaps the motoring lobby's reaction to the plans was subdued because of the other big story.

Thirty years ago this week the long-awaited public inquiry into a new inner ring road for York began. This ambitious scheme was designed to make the motorist's life a lot freer.

Proponents said it would end years of traffic jams. The post-war boom in motor sales had seen car showrooms spring up around the city, including the Castle Garage selling Austins and Rover dealer City Garage in Blake Street.

Meanwhile, two-way traffic wended its way down Coney Street, Parliament Street and even Whip-ma-whop-ma-gate.

The idea for a purpose-built inner ring road was not new. It was first proposed in 1948, in the document A Plan for the City of York.

"Immediately outside the walls are extensive areas of worn-out housing which will form clearance areas as soon as the Housing Acts can be put into operation again," it stated.

"The clearance of these areas and the development of derelict land round the old Hull Road Brickworks provide most of the land necessary to lay out this new ring road.

"The intention is to ring the old city at an average distance of 250 yards outside the walls with a dual carriageway."

This plan went no further, and by 1958, city engineer Charles Minter was wrestling with an even worse traffic problem.

"A city must have roads in order to function and any set of circumstances which regularly block and practically paralyse the traffic routes in a city should be thoroughly investigated and if possible removed," he wrote.

Many more years passed. Finally, in 1971, councillors voted to go ahead and build an £8 million inner ring road.

They had considered six different routes. The one they chose would see a dual carriageway take traffic from Walmgate Bar to Lord Mayor's Walk. It would go behind the railway station on to Holgate Road before going along Scarcroft Road and eventually connecting to Foss Islands Road.

The inevitable public inquiry into such an ambitious scheme opened on October 17, 1972. On the opening day, the planning inspector Mr Dahl heard that the scheme would demolish 162 houses, 14 shops, seven offices, two garages, a church and a hotel.

The Bay Horse pub, Monkgate, was one building earmarked for the bulldozer. The brothers who ran the post office next door to the pub had closed it two years earlier in anticipation of its destruction to make way for the new road.

Two new bridges would also be built, at Clementhorpe and Marygate.

As you might expect, there were lots of facts and figures given at the inquiry. On average 12,350 vehicles passed within 30ft of the Minster each day, it was revealed; according to a 1966 census, 77 per cent of York residents walked, cycled or took the bus to work; the city's parking policy was to provide 6,900 long-stay parking places, and 3,700 short-stay spaces.

Frank Layfield, QC for the council, told the inquiry: "The greatest threat to the continued life and vitality of York's activities is created by road traffic." The inner ring road would divert traffic away from the city centre he argued.

But opponents were aghast at the scale of the scheme, as David Crease, chief architect at York University design unit explained.

"An embankment ten metres high is proposed between Marygate and Longfield Terrace, carrying the road above the level of neighbouring roofs," he told the inquiry. "The magnitude of the earthworks may be assessed by comparing them with the mound at Clifford's Tower."

He added: "It appears to some people that progress is measured by the greater ownership of cars. People will have to realise that car ownership in the future will have to be curbed."

His arguments did not persuade the inspector, who found in favour of the scheme. But it was never implemented; in 1975 Environment Secretary Anthony Crosland halted the project. He was not convinced all possible ways to solve the traffic problem had been explored.

But the plan to ban cars from the central streets did come to something. The footstreets were opened at the end of September, 1987.

Updated: 11:30 Monday, October 14, 2002