A RADICAL car scheme aimed at slashing city centre congestion could be part of the plans for the massive York Central development, the Evening Press can reveal today.

One version of the scheme would involve a hire car company being permanently based at the proposed development area, behind York Railway Station, running a "just-in-time" system.

Residents could contact the company and be guaranteed to get a hire car in double-quick time.

About 3,000 new homes are expected to be built at the site, also known as the Teardrop, and council chiefs are keen to cut down on the number of extra cars coming into York city centre.

New developments within the inner ring road could see fewer car parking spaces built than the number of new homes, with alternative transport schemes in place instead.

Similar ideas are being considered in the plans for the revamped Barbican Centre, due to be made public within two weeks.

Council leader Steve Galloway said: "If you live right in the city centre virtually everything - including people's workplace - is within walking distance, but people are very nervous about not having transport. Schemes such as this would require a different lifestyle approach."

Derek Smallwood, shadow executive member for the environment, said: "York Central is almost a new city. It gives us a chance to try new ideas and this sounds well worth a look at."

A car club is successfully operating in Edinburgh. Two hundred registered members book one of 17 cars through the internet, over the phone or on an in-car computer.

An Edinburgh City Council spokeswoman said: "It is growing. "We are adding more cars as the scheme becomes more recognised and attracts more members."

But AA spokeswoman Claire Price said: "These schemes are good in theory but we would question them in practice."

She pointed out that if new residents were professionals, one could not assume they would work within the city.

Updated: 10:40 Monday, December 08, 2003