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09
Dec
Battle to pedestrianise Ripon streets to be stepped up
Attempts to pedestrianise Kirkgate and Market Place South in Ripon are to be stepped-up after initial moves were knocked back.
Businesses and Ripon city councillors have called for an extension of the times banning vehicles from Kirkgate, which links the cathedral and the Market Place.
They believe the move would make Ripon cleaner and greener and boost café culture.
The Stray Ferret reported in August that a group of independent traders wanted to increase the hours of pedestrianisation on Kirkgate from the current 10am to 5pm to 10am to 10pm between March 31 and September 30.
The group includes Richard Hughes, who owns Spanish tapas bar Manchega on Duck Hill. He described Kirkgate as a “flagship” street at last night’s (December 8) meeting of Ripon City Council.
David Ingham (left) is pictured with independent traders, (left to right) Stu Ross, Richard Hughes and David Stead.
Mr Hughes said extending pedestrianisation would play a key part in Ripon’s regeneration and a survey he had conducted had shown overwhelming support for the idea from business owners, residents and landlords.
He said “the only naysayers” were people with access concerns on Court Terrace.
But Councillor Andrew Williams, who leads the Independents Putting Ripon Before Party Politics group on the city council and is also the North Yorkshire councillor for Kirkgate, said he had been “largely banging my head against a brick wall” in discussions with North Yorkshire Council about moving the idea forward.
He said pedestrianisation of Market Place South, on which Ripon Town Hall is located, had also been part of the discussions.
Al Fresco dining on Kirkgate in 2023
Cllr Williams said he had been told by Melisa Burnham, the council’s area highways manager, the council had rejected the move for Kirkgate and Market Place South.
He said he had arranged a follow-up meeting on January 9, which would include Cllr Malcolm Taylor, the Conservative councillor with oversight for highways in North Yorkshire, “to see if it is possible to break the logjam and to get North Yorkshire Council to undertake a public consultation”.
Cllr Williams said the current position was effectively “computer says no” to pedestrianisation and he would report back after the meeting.
Cllr Barbara Brodigan, the Liberal Democrat mayor, said she was sure “everybody around this table” supported a public consultation on the pedestrianisation.
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