PEDESTRIANS and cyclists have received a boost, after highways chiefs agreed to release tens of thousands of pounds for essential work in one of York's busiest streets.

Councillors had planned to put off a £100,000 programme of repairs in Parliament Street until the next financial year, which starts in April.

The work would see pavement repairs carried out between Market Street and High Ousegate.

Other repairs, including improvements to the safety of cycle paths and preparation work for resurfacing, would also have been delayed.

But City of York Council's strategic policy panel has agree to take the cash from council reserves and do the work this year.

The cash will be repaid from next year's budget.

Coun Ann Reid, shadow transport spokeswoman, said she had pressed for the work to be done this year.

She said: "The projects that were proposed to be deferred are all essential and we felt that to delay them would have been to the great detriment of the city."

Coun Reid said she felt delaying the repairs could also have led to bigger bills.

Releasing the money keeps the council's highways project on schedule and means more money is available for next year, she said.

But Bill Woolley, the council's assistant director of community development and transport, said he did not feel problems would have been worsened by delaying the work.

Some of the repairs had already been commissioned, he said.

He said: "We would not have allowed safety to be compromised and any delay would have been 12 weeks at the most.

"But this decision means the work can start earlier, some in the next week or two. The Parliament Street work will begin slightly later, but we are aiming for it to be completed by Easter."

Updated: 16:37 Monday, January 20, 2003