HALF the spaces set aside for coaches at a York car park would be lost if it was hit by floods, a council report has revealed.

That is the gamble for councillors, who are considering relocating coaches to St George's Field - which regularly floods - when the Barbican closes for redevelopment.

Coaches would have to use St George's Field, because the Kent Street Coach Park would need to close to allow the Barbican to be revamped.

City of York Council officers see St George's Field as being the best place because of its proximity to the city centre. But a report, which recommends the move in principle, recognises that: "If the coach park floods this would result in the loss of half of the available spaces."

It continues: "This could cause a problem of lack of space on some days". Officers are now looking at considering the design of any coach park, with the aim of reducing the risk of flooding.

And another worry for the cash-strapped council is that relocating the coach park would mean the authority will lose between £75,000 and £105,000, depending on how many spaces are needed for coaches.

Ann Reid, the council's executive member for planning and transport, said the loss of revenue was "a worry".

When asked why the authority was looking to relocate coaches to a car park which was notorious for regular flooding, Coun Reid said: "It (St George's Field) would be a popular place and we would be hard pressed to find somewhere else so close to the city centre."

The loss of between 200 to 250 slots at St George's Field brings to 780 the number of car parking spaces which will go over the next two to three years.

But Coun Reid said those figures did not include the new Park&Ride which will be constructed on the A59, for which plans were currently being considered.

The St George's Field scheme will be considered at a planning and transport meeting on April 7.

In late 2002, the Evening Press revealed that the number of city centre parking spaces had been capped at 5,100, with an emphasis on short and medium stay spaces.

Updated: 10:35 Thursday, April 01, 2004