14/05/2026
YORK CHRISTMAS MARKET OPENING
I have just shared two great C*C news stories - promoting adoption and also one for Mental Health Awareness Week (the latter from 11th May). However the below is neither great (nor seemingly shareable as it is not on C*C fb).
The below is my cut down version of the C*C news that they are to close the Christmas Market on Tuesdays. Since the current administration reversed the ban on Blue Badge holders access to the city centre it has not been an entirely smooth change. One notable issue is around the Christmas Market which last year effectively saw Blue Badge holders again banned from the city centre, just not all year. This bizarre solution will see the market closed on Tuesdays (which of course many visitors will be unaware of) but will also still effectively leave Blue Badge holders banned from the market. For me a far more sensible solution would be not to put the market in a location that it totally rammed anyway and as part of that likely spread it in a number of locations in the city centre (as some other cities have). There also I believe other solutions around opening hours and a shuttle type service in. Calling it a 'rest day' is also silly - that certainly isn't what stallholders are saying they want in a tough economic environment.
Anyway, here is what C*C say..............
A rest day will be trialled at York’s Christmas market this year to increase access to the city centre for all.
The decision was made at the council’s Executive meeting on Tuesday 12 May. It means that on Tuesdays throughout the market, the stalls will be closed and the Goodramgate-King’s Square-Colliergate loop for Blue Badge holders will be in operation.
This will allow easier access to city centre services such as banks, shops, restaurants and more over the Christmas period. Residents and visitors will be able to do what they do at other times of the year without the various limitations, including the Blue Badge holder access restriction, arising from the Christmas Market being in operation.
The decision follows extensive discussions with North Yorkshire Police and Counter Terrorism Police as well as discussions with businesses.
Barring exceptional circumstances, such as a national or local intelligence on a specific security threat, the city centre would operate as ‘business as usual’ mode for that one day a week, with Blue Badge holder access through the hostile vehicle measures permitted on these days via the Goodramgate loop.
For the other days when the market is open, in line with recommended anti-terrorism measures, arrangements would be similar to last year with restrictions on vehicles within the footstreet area.
The recommendations that were approved at the meeting were:
i) to decide whether, on a trial basis for 2026, to progress a 6-day Christmas Market, with 10.30am to 7pm market operation on the operational days, and on the basis of the evidence presented, to select Tuesday as the rest day, and as part of this, on the rest day, to restrict Blue Badge access to the Goodramgate access loop only, with additional temporary Hostile Vehicle Measures to protect Church Street, Low Petergate and King’s Square from vehicles
ii) to seek a further report early in 2027 containing detailed analysis of the impacts and outcome of this trial;
iii) to establish an interface group between the Council and other necessary parties to ensure effective joint planning, risk assessment and mitigation, such group to include the Council’s Chief Executive, Director of Governance, Director of City Development and other officers as appropriate in order that such group will undertake an ongoing process of dynamic risk assessment to prepare for, and assess, any serious risks which may emerge, and which could impact on the proposed arrangements for any of the days; and
iv) that the additional costs of temporary HVM set out at i) above be met from existing budgets. Reason: To allow the trialling of an approach to providing improvements for residents, visitors and disabled people in accessing the City Centre through reduced operating hours, and in a way which is deliverable operationally, considers the safety and security of the city centre area, and minimises economic impacts to the city
