The Council says, “Following a city-wide consultation, proposals outlining the future look of Fossgate will be taken to a Cabinet meeting next week (Tuesday 1 April) for approval.

Over 600 individual responses were submitted during the latest consultation for three of the six priority Reinvigorate York schemes including Fossgate, which took place in January/February this year.

Other schemes include Exhibition Square / Theatre Interchange and the Duncombe Place/Blake Street junction, which will separately be taken to Cabinet in June.

The report provides an overview and detailed feedback of the consultation undertaken and outlines the preferred junction improvement option for the Fossgate scheme.

Proposals are aimed at encouraging regeneration of the street and promoting change of character at the gateway junction with Pavement. The two main proposals, which were the subject of recent public consultation, were:

• To convert Fossgate into a daytime footstreet; and
• To carry out physical improvements to the gateways/junctions at either end of the street.

Four key questions were put forward during the consultation, to find out

– if people agreed with the proposal to convert Fossgate to a daytime footstreet

– if they agreed with the junction proposals at the northern and southern ends of Fossgate

– which entry treatment they preferred at the junction of Fossgate with Pavement

– and finally if they agreed with the proposed type of paving for Fossgate

A significant proportion of respondents supported the proposal to convert Fossgate to a daytime footstreet (56 per cent agree; 36 per cent disagree). This reflected the findings of a previous consultation which was carried out at the request of traders in July 2012 where 57 per cent of respondents supported the principle of Fossgate operating as a footstreet.

There was overall agreement with the principle of carrying out physical environmental improvements at the northern (Pavement) and southern (Merchantgate) ends of Fossgate (44 per cent agree; 39 per cent disagree).

However, there was no clear preference for which entry treatment option to take forward at the junction of Fossgate with Pavement (47 per cent don’t know). A significant proportion of people agreed with the proposed type of paving for Fossgate (52 per cent agree; 32 per cent disagree).

Officers have subsequently reviewed the proposed entry treatment options at the northern end of Fossgate. Feedback from the public consultation has informed the preparation of a further option, which provides an extended table top arrangement for the whole top section of Fossgate and omitting the southern end gate way change. This option, the preferred option, was discussed and endorsed by the Fossgate User Group, involving residents and businesses, at a meeting on 26 February 2014.

If approved by Cabinet, it is anticipated that work to carry out environmental improvements at Fossgate are due to start on-site in late spring this year. Work to progress the footstreet element of the project is linked to this but will be progressed separately and is subject to further statutory and informal consultation processes.

The estimated cost of the Fossgate project is £310K. The primary source of funding will be from the previously agreed £3m Reinvigorate York Economic Infrastructure Fund (EIF) capital budget.

For more information about the Reinvigorate York scheme visit: www.york.gov.uk/reinvigorateyork

Cabinet will take place on Tuesday 1 April at West Offices from 5.30pm and is open to members of the public or is available to watch live online from: www.york.gov.uk/webcasts

To view the Cabinet reports visit: http://democracy.york.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=733&MId=7647