Last month, the leaders of York’s new Conservative-Liberal Democrat Executive said they wanted to repay the motorists caught by ANPR cameras driving down the street outside permitted hoursin late 2013 and early 2014. They said it would help repair York’s reputation following Labour’s botched Lendal Bridge trial.

Labour lost its appeal in April against a ruling which said that the council had no power to issue fines to drivers using Coppergate and Lendal Bridge during trial traffic bans. The council has the right to appeal the Traffic Penalty Tribunal’s decision, but if next week’s report is approved this legal challenge will be dropped and a repayment process, similar to the one used for Lendal Bridge, will be put in place.

The full value of Coppergate fines totals £387,000 and were included in the earmarked reserves in the council’s accounts in 2014/15. Refunds will be funded from the reserve with a deadline for submitting claims of 31 March 2016. At the same meeting, Executive will be asked to approve a new deadline for submitting claims for the Lendal Bridge Repayment Scheme and to extend this from 31 December 2015 to 31 March 2016.

Officers will also be asked to review options for the future of the Coppergate scheme, including revising existing signage. This could result in changing the road markings, the surface of the road and/or interventions that may provide more effective traffic solutions in this area.

Cllr Ann Reid, Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Transport, said:

“It is right that we repay these fines and rule out a legal challenge. This will help draw line under the issues and begin to repair the damage done to York’s reputation by Labour. This will allow us to focus our efforts on getting the Coppergate restrictions right as part of a wider effort to tackling congestion in York.”

York’s Executive will take a final decision next Thursday (25th June) at West Offices from 5.30pm.