50% discount on season ticket agreed for YorkCard holders
UPDATE: A trust spokesman has now said that “people with an existing York Card -including one bought today – would still be able to gain free admission to the Castle Museum and Yorkshire Museum tomorrow and until the card expired. Cards bought after today will not give the same benefits”.
A Press Release has confirmed that the YMT plans to charge residents £7.50 for entry to the Art Gallery from tomorrow, but they will offer all York Card holders 50% off the standard price of the annual YMT Card. That means that a YMT card will cost £11 (£10 with a direct debit)
Children under 16 continue to have free entry. There is also a discount (to £4) for some claimants*.
In doing so the YMT will be in breech of the terms of the lease they hold on the Art Gallery and Castle Museum.
In our view they would have been wiser to continue to offer YorkCard holders free entry at least until the Council had considered the matter further at their September meeting (see update above)
The YMT has not said whether it will make refunds to those YorkCard holders who had purchased season tickets before the latest discount was announced.
* Access tickets: up to 50% discount for visitors aged 17-24 or in receipt of Income-Related Employment and Support Allowance, Income–based Job seeker’s Allowance, Pension Credit or Income Support. Evidence may be required.
The York Council has not yet said when, or even if, it will commence legal proceedings to enforce the lease restriction
Cllr Nigel Ayre comments:
“It is surprising that the York Museums Trust has pushed on with its proposals. On Wednesday there was cross-party support for the charging plans to be halted ahead of further discussions taking place.
“However, I am pleased to see that following my decision last night the Trust has at least offered a 50% discount to York Card holders for the annual pass. This is a step in the right direction and an example of the further concessions we have been pushing for. It hopefully does give us a platform for further dialogue going forward.”
NB. The York Museums Trust is also seeking to appoint new Trustees. However intersted individuals only have until tomorrow (1st August) to submit their CVs