Christmas market ban reignites row over blue badge access in York city centre

A row over disabled access to York city centre has been reignited after it emerged blue badge holders will be banned in the run up to Christmas this year.

The council says no vehicles will be allowed into the centre during the day while the popular Christmas market is on, on the advice of anti-terror police.

But it has angered local residents who only last year overturned a move which would have seen them permanently excluded from pedestrian areas.

Disability campaigner Flick Williams said: "When the permanent ban was in place it was eventually recognised that that was a breach of disabled people's human rights. So our question becomes: what makes it ok to violate our human rights for five weeks of the year?

"The reality is that normal life carries on for us all in those five weeks preceding Christmas and regardless of the Christmas Market, disabled people still need to get into the city centre to do their regular shopping, to get access to banks and building societies."

Blue badge owners will not be allowed to access the city centre during the Christmas market

The previous ban on disabled parking in pedestrianised areas was introduced in 2021 to make way for bollards designed to deter terror attacks.

York Council's new Labour administration reversed the decision in January.

Campaigners who fought the ban have now revived their 'Reverse The Ban' campaign.

Blue badge holder Diane Rowath said: "The ban was reversed quite some time ago now, they've had plenty of time to think about it. And they should have made sure that disabled people were included in the Christmas markets but also being able to use the city centre in the way they can usually."

Campaigners are urging the council to reverse the ban on blue badge access.

The council say they will endeavour to give blue badge holders access to the city centre next year but that it was too late to change plans for 2024.

Exec Member for Transport at City of York Council Cllr Kate Ravilios said: "The arrangements for the Christmas market happen many months in advance and so to unravel that at this point in time would have been too complex and really expensive.

"We'll always have to listen to the advice that comes from anti-terrorism police and we always have to put public safety at the forefront of our decision-making."

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