Kirkgate is widely regarded as Ripon’s loveliest and most historic street, linking the city centre with the cathedral.

But a key decision this week could go a long way to determining its future.

North Yorkshire Council’s Skipton and Ripon area committee will decide whether to accept a proposal to increase traffic restrictions in a move supporters say would create a café culture, boost trade and improve the environment.

The pedestrianisation of Kirkgate has been chewed over for decades but the subject was added to the agenda after 868 people signed a petition calling for a consultation.

The petition ends:

So would pedestrianisation yield benefits or is it impractical?

'The whole of Ripon will benefit'

The Stray Ferret met some of the leading supporters on Kirkgate this week to find out why they are in favour.

Surveys have discovered widespread support for the idea, not least among businesses, which would be able to increase al fresco drinking and dining.

Traders currently pay the council £600 to close the street for one-off events and pedestrianisation would make the process cheaper and easier.

Richard Hughes, whose Manchega tapas restaurant on Duck Hill overlooks Kirkgate, says the upside would be felt beyond the hospitality sector, because it would make Ripon a more desirable and attractive destination.

“The whole of Ripon will benefit — it would provide a massive tourist boost,” he says.

Ripon resident David Ingham accepts there are legitimate concerns about issues such as access for residents, delivery drivers and emergency service vehicles and disabled parking.

Holding a consultation, he says, would allow concerns to be aired and solutions found.

Retired headteacher Jeremy Dunford, a trustee of Ripon Disability Forum and wheelchair user, agreed issues needed to be resolved but added pedestrianisation worked elsewhere and a compromise ought to be achievable.

Mr Dunford added that encouraging more people to walk, wheel and cycle was a key part of current initiatives such as Labour mayor David Skaith’s Local Transport Plan and North Yorkshire Council’s Ripon City Investment Plan, which are both being consulted on.

Bollards

The area committee will decide on Thursday (October 1) whether to support a consultation, but a report by Harriet Clarke, the council’s senior democratic services officer, and Melisa Burnham, the council’s area highways manager, ahead of the meeting strikes a sceptical note. 

It raises concerns about issues such as access to Court Terrace, off Kirkgate, and the practicalities of installing bollards in a conservation area. You can read more here.

But Ripon City Council supports a consultation.

Mayor Andrew Williams acknowledges the situation is not straightforward but says:

Cllr Barbara Brodigan, who like Cllr Williams is a city and county councillor, is one of the main supporters of the idea.

She says:

If the area committee agrees with her this week, a new chapter in Kirkgate’s long history could begin soon.