PROPOSED changes to one of York’s key road junctions have won cross-party support from the city council’s transport leaders.

The proposals cover Fishergate between its junction with Cemetery Road and Fishergate School, and the Fishergate gyratory. The public will now be asked to give their opinions on a raft of measures to improve safety and traffic movements on the Fishergate, including a possible 20mph speed limit outside Fishergate and St George’s RC primary schools.

Liberal Democrat councillor Steve Galloway, the city council’s executive member for city strategy, gave the go-ahead for the next stage in what could be a £550,000 road revamp package.

“Some rationalisation of the features of the gyratory will be welcome, as is the need to address the safety of cycle movements into the city centre,” he said at a decision-making session.

He warned said Fishergate was one of the main arterial routes into the city and any speed reduction methods must reflect that.

Coun Ruth Potter, the highways and transport spokesman for Labour, said: “There are real positives to be taken from these proposals, which I have given my support to. On the whole, all of these changes would improve the area, should they be agreed.”

They include extra pedestrian crossings, footway widening, the creation of pedestrian refuge islands, new cycle lanes and changes of road layouts.

She called for a crossing to be added to the scheme near the Mason’s Arms pub, near Piccadilly.

The changes include narrowing the carriageway at the southern end of Fishergate and Coun Galloway told officers to introduce this on a trial basis and monitor it during the design stage of the changes.

Officers will now carry out detailed design work on the changes. The plans do not include changes to the junction of Piccadilly with the inner ring road.