Immediate Release: 3rd January, 2024
Access ban reversal effective from tomorrow
The Labour council administration’s decision to reverse a ban on Blue Badge holder access to the city centre comes into effect tomorrow – Thursday 4th January.
Access will initially be permitted via Goodramgate, King’s Square and out via Colliergate. Once full connection of anti-terror, electronic sliding bollards is complete in the coming months, access will also be open to Blue Badge holders via Blake Street, St Helen’s Square and out via Lendal.
Tomorrow’s re-opening of the city to Blue Badge holders is being marked by the Reverse the Ban Coalition of disability and age-related organisations. It is arranging for several campaigners to meet at the Goodramgate sliding bollards, next to the Cross Keys pub, at 12 Noon, the first opportunity for many to re-enter the city centre in years.
Photocall: 12 Noon, outside Cross Keys pub, Goodramgate, with members of Reverse the Ban Coalition and Executive Councillors.
Reverse the Ban Coalition said:
“The Reverse the Ban coalition of 27 disability, age- related and allied organisations across the city welcomes the partial re-opening of the city’s footstreets area to Blue Badge holders, thus overturning the human rights wrong that led to them previously being unfairly excluded.
“We look forward to this being extended further and to plans to improve access more generally for all disabled people.
We’d like to thank all those who supported us to make this happen”.
Executive Member for Equalities, Cllr Katie Lomas said:
“This is an important day for the city in ensuring residents and visitors have access to a welcoming city centre once again. We know this is an important issue for both disabled and non- disabled York residents who understood the long-term damaging impact of this restriction when it was first implemented several years ago. Today’s access is a vital first step and we look forward to seeing full Blue Badge holder access returned very soon”.
-ENDS-
Cllr Katie Lomas
Executive Member for Equalities
Tel: 07776 141781