Blue badge holders slapped with watered-down access to Christmas market amid council ‘public safety’ fears

A local authority has voted to allow Blue Badge holders to access a major city centre during the Christmas Market season but with heavily restricted parking and access only via a designated route.

York City Council agreed to reverse its previous total parking ban for Blue Badge holders to the festive markets to only between 5pm and 7pm via a designated route through Goodramgate.

The decision comes after significant backlash when the council initially announced plans to suspend Blue Badge access completely during the festive market period.

The new arrangement, which excludes Church Street, mirrors the access already granted to traders from the year-round Shambles Market.

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A council report highlighted that the local authority must balance its duties under the Equality Act 2010 with wider public safety considerations.

“Several of you in this meeting reversed the permanent blue badge ban,” noted one consultation response. “What makes it acceptable to breach them again now for five weeks of commercial gain?”

The council acknowledged that the Christmas Market is one of the busiest events in the calendar, making safety considerations particularly crucial.

“We have had to think about the balance of risk of collision and a terrorism event alongside the human rights and public sector equality duty to allow access into the city centre for Blue Badge and disabled residents who otherwise would be excluded,” a councillor explained at the meeting.

Previously, Blue Badge holders were restricted from entering the city centre between 10.30am and 7pm during the Christmas Market period, which runs until December 22.

But now the unanimous vote by the council marks a significant change to the original plans, though access remains barred along the Blake Street, St Helens Square and Lendal routes.

The route through Goodramgate will provide disabled drivers access to the city centre between 5pm and 7pm during market hours, matching the arrangements already in place for Shambles Market traders. But the new arrangement has been met with mixed views with the majority furious over the changes.

Residents expressed anger over the council’s decision with someone sharing: “So no access during daylight when we can see all the uneven footpaths, but it’s OK to take a chance in the dark. Perhaps York Council needs to consult with disabled groups.”

James Gilchrist, Director of Environment, Transport and Planning at City of York Council, said: “Officers are now working with Make it York and other stakeholders to implement the decision Executive made last evening, as soon as we can confirm a date we will.”

The council’s report noted that footfall in the Goodramgate area after 5pm during the Christmas Market period is comparable to peak weekend levels in August.

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The decision came after council officers presented several alternative options, including full access during market hours and limiting access to Monday-Thursday only. The council faced a complex balancing act between security concerns and accessibility rights when making their decision.

But an urgent report prepared for the meeting described the decision as “challenging,” requiring executives to weigh counter-terrorism police advice and public safety against the rights of Blue Badge holders.

The council confirmed that planning is already underway to incorporate Blue Badge access into the 2025 Christmas Market arrangements.