TRADERS in Gillygate have hit out at the council’s plans to sell Union Terrace car park.

Paul Wilkins, duty manager at Wacker’s fish and chip restaurant, said much of their business came from the coach park.

He said: “We do get business from coaches so it will take a lot of business away.

“If there’s a drop-off point in or near Gillygate, it’s not as bad because it can still drop off in this area.

“But if they end up taking them to the other side of town, it will take a lot away from businesses this side of town.

“There’s nothing else to draw them here.

“At least with the coach park where it is, it’s a pass through area that reels them into the Minster, one of the most important areas to actually come to as a tourist.”

Trevor Fenwick, owner of Bubbles And Squeak toy shop, said: “It will actually be horrendous.

“We’ve been in Gillygate now for 17 years and initially where St John’s College is now was a coach park. And opposite there was a car park which I think had around 350 car park spaces.

“Then, they closed the coach park to build the extension to St John’s, and moved the coach park into the car park, that reduced the car spaces straight away.

“We have seen over the last few years a huge drop in footfall down at Gillygate. This is reflected in the number of businesses in the process of closing down or changing hands, so we are starting to see a big change in the retail premises down here.”

Neil Thomson, owner of Shine Jewellers, said: “Tourists are important obviously but I don’t think the coach park at the top of Gillygate is the main source of our revenue.

“I think all the cafés along here would notice a big drop in footfall though which is a major concern.

“We want people to do well; we need the whole street to be quite buoyant.”

Jeremy Jones, the manager of Arclight, which is next to the Union Terrace carpark, said: “This is a surprise, however York St John's successful growth programme over the last few years should guarantee that the development has been well thought through and will certainly enhance the bleak open space that it will replace. I hope that it will also create further partnership opportunities for Arc Light and York St John in the years to come.”