A TRAFFIC master plan aimed at saving York from future gridlock has finally been pushed through by city councillors.

The plan for the Foss Basin area has been the subject of controversy at City of York Council meetings, as councillors have picked over planned short-term measures to ease congestion, including one to route a new Park&Ride service down residential streets.

The plan will see a James Street link road, a bus priority lane at Walmgate Bar, an extension of the Sustrans cycle route into the city, and a safety scheme to control traffic at the Monkgate roundabout.

Coun Ann Reid, executive member for planning and transport, said planning applications that have already been approved will lead to a 32 per cent increase in traffic during the morning rush hour.

She said: "We need to be able to address the immediate issues as well as meeting future demands with confidence.

"Reusing of brownfield sites to provide sustainable development on greenfields is important to us, but we recognise that residents will need to be consulted on the specific traffic measures prior to implementation.

"The master plan is a living document, and while the principles in it have been agreed today, the detailed implementation will be tailored to address the changing needs of the city."

But Labour's transport spokeswoman, Coun Tracey Simpson-Laing, said the plan had been rushed through and was not robust enough to cope with the traffic generated by future developments.

She said: "There should be a master plan, but I don't think it should be this one. My major concern is the knock-on implications for people who already live in that area."

Updated: 10:33 Friday, March 19, 2004