The first comprehensive development plan for York was begun in 1943. It was supervised by C.J.Minter, City Surveyor and Planning Officer, with C.W.C.Needham and S.D.Adshead, Town Planning Consultants. The work continued during and after the Second World War. (Prof.Adshead died in 1946). In 1948 an exhibition revealed the plans for the central area, within and immediately adjacent to the City Walls. A booklet "A plan for the City of York, 1948" by Minter and Needham accompanied this. Part of its text is given here. Much is omitted; notably the introductory sections which catalogue the preliminary work which was also featured in the exhibition.

This is the most important proposal on a large scale now put forward and is the principal feature of the Central Area Plan. The Inner Ring Road will form the boundary to the "Central Area" separating it from the outer areas of the City, yet, at the same time, it will have the effect of knitting all parts of York even more closely together.

Immediately outside the Walls are extensive areas of worn-out housing which will form clearance areas as soon as the Housing Acts can be put into operation again. The clearance of these areas and the development of derelict land round the old Hull Road Brickworks provide most of the land necessary to lay out this new Ring Road.

The intention is to ring the old City at an average distance of 250 yards outside the Walls with a dual carriageway. Intersecting all entrances to the City, this Ring Road will furnish a speedy access for local traffic from one part of the town to another, and will keep out of the Central Area traffic which is not compelled to pass inside the Walls. This will help enormously towards the relief of congestion in the narrow streets of the old City.

It is not one of the primary functions of the Inner Ring Road to handle cross country traffic, but it could very easily do this until such times as the new proposed outer ring road - well clear of any existing or probable future development of the City - is constructed.

Between the new road and the City Walls there will be established a "Green Belt" which will greatly enhance the dramatic effect of the Walls and provide sites for new public buildings set in gardens and new open spaces. The existing buildings should be cleared from the moats so as to show the full length of the Wall in all its impressive beauty; this is recommended and shown on the present Plan.

The Inner Ring Road is no new idea. It has been adopted with great success in many Continental cities where the removal of old fortifications has provided space to lay out fine wide roads and open spaces, and is perhaps the most important proposal put forward in Mr. J. B. Morrell's well-known book "The City of Our Dreams."

With cross country and inter-suburban traffic provided for, there still remains the need to ease congestion in the Central Area, particularly in the shopping streets. Orthodox methods of street widening cannot be applied to the old streets of York where the preservation of buildings of architectural interest is of paramount importance.

The present system of one-way traffic, instituted during the War, has greatly improved on earlier conditions, and in the narrow streets it must be retained. A few alterations in the system are proposed together with further traffic restrictions. In Stonegate and Great Shambles it is suggested that no wheeled traffic be allowed after 10 a.m. in order to avoid obstruction and leave the streets clear for shoppers.

Parliament Street is at present used as a road, car park, market place and shopping street-four entirely conflicting functions. On market days traffic and parking are crowded out. The removal of the market and car park to alternative sites is proposed, thus freeing Parliament Street for traffic to be arranged with twin carriageways on the straightforward method of "Keep Left".

With Parliament Street freed and the Davygate widening completed, there is a reasonable main traffic route from Bootham, via St. Leonard's and Piccadilly, to the Hull and Selby roads.

Through routes in the opposite direction across the river are not so simple. There is a direct road from Micklegate into the traffic centre of Parliament Street, using High Ousegate and Coppergate as single traffic roads, but no direct way out to Malton Road. At present, traffic from the centre must either go by Lendal Bridge, Deangate and Goodramgate, or from Ouse Bridge by way of Church Street and Goodramgate. The proposed new connection from Pavement to Peaseholme Green will be useful for access to Heworth and will provide an outlet, though not direct, to the Malton Road.

It is proposed that Church Street be widened on the West side, which has no architectural merit, and advantage be taken of clearances in St. Andrewgate to widen that street also, breaking a new roadway through the City Wall to join up with St. Maurice's Road and Monkgate. The Merchant Taylors' Hall and the newly-excavated corner tower of the Roman Wall would have frontage to this road. This alternative route leaves Goodramgate for local traffic on a one-way (outwards) system, and its present width and character can be retained.

The need to remove through traffic from the immediate precincts of the Minster has been referred to. The new St. Andrewgate route from the Parliament Street traffic centre to Malton Road would make it possible to close Deangate, and leave the whole area bounded by Goodramgate, Petergate and the City Wall, free from all but local traffic.

Many citizens and visitors will wish to see the City leisurely and enjoy, undisturbed, the beauty of the unique example of English Defensive Architecture which York possesses in its medieval Walls. It is, therefore, proposed that these existing roads-such as Nunnery Lane and Lord Mayor's Walk-should be kept free from fast moving traffic and remain as 'sight-seeing" roads.

The section of the Inner Ring Road which connects Blossom Street to the West of the City at Bootham passes very close to the Wall at Queen Street and the Station. The plans show that by using the existing road to a point north of the Station Hotel gardens, then turning left and crossing the River Ouse by means of a new bridge between Lendal Bridge and the Scarborough (Railway) Bridge, the connection is made, but in a very restricted way, and we are therefore bold enough to suggest that, for the ultimate convenience of travellers, both by road and rail, as well as for the amenities of the City, the Station should be set back in the manner shown on the plans and model of the City.

The other river crossing-from Fishergate to Bishopthorpe Road-is badly needed at present and we are hoping that these immediate needs will be met as soon as possible, being, as they are, a part of the long term Plan but not necessarily dependent upon the major fulfilment of that Plan.

It is not expected that this proposal for a new Inner Ring Road can be carried out in a few years in fact, the completion of the circuit will have to wait until one section at least of the present Gas Works becomes redundant or can be re-sited. It should be possib^1~e, however, to make a start on some sections of the road before York is very much older, and if the provision of the new Outer By-pass is postponed, the construction of so much of the Inner Ring Road as is necessary to provide a new alternative route from Leeds to Scarborough, without passing through the centre of the City, would be a great boon.

In addition to Goodramgate, other old streets of special architectural character which should be left unwidened are Petergate, Colliergate, Fossgate, Stonegate, Great Shambles, and St. Saviourgate. Coney Street and High Ousegate have n6t the same architectural interest, but any widening scheme would involve a complete loss of character and one-way traffic will have to be continued. In order to improve traffic conditions in these streets it is suggested that shop-fronts should be set back behind a colonnade supporting the upper floors and a covered footway provided. This arrangement would add considerably to the safety and convenience of shoppers as well as to the attraction of York's street architecture. A small widening of the existing carriageways would result from this scheme.

York Minster-the largest Cathedral in Britain - suffers from the fact that there is insufficient clear space round it for its full beauty to be enjoyed, and the heavy traffic passing along Deangate, within a few feet of the Minster walls, is both a danger and a nuisance. By diverting traffic to alternative routes the present carriageway of Deangate can be taken up and a new minor road system arranged for access to the few buildings requiring it. By closing up the ends of the present Deangate at Petergate and Goodramgate, with railings or obstruction posts (removable on occasion); clearing away the ugly house adjoining the Old Residence, and, at the same time, setting back the railings to the Choir School, an open space free from roads and noisy traffic can be provided on the South side of the Minster, thereby achieving that effect of a quiet precinct which adds so much to the impressiveness of other English Cathedrals.

For the same reason, the setting back of property opposite the west Front is proposed by removing modern buildings in Duncombe Place and at the end of High Petergate. The main function of Duncombe Place would then be that of a processional way to the Minster.

York's 14th Century Guildhall was destroyed by fire as a result of enemy action in 1942. As soon as conditions allow, it will be rebuilt, and many public-spirited Yorkshire landowners have given oak trees for the purpose.

Another fine old building is that of the Company of Merchant Adventurers which stands in well-kept grounds on the banks of the River Foss. The Company is alive to the historic and architectural value of its Hall, and is taking every possible step to preserve its Fabric.

The Merchant Taylors' Company has recently embarked upon a scheme of Restoration of its Hall in Aldwark, and it is certain that, in the near future, this building and its surroundings will be one of the attractions to visitors to the City.

Before the War it was intended to erect Municipal Offices at the Castle, on land adjoining the Castle (Kirk) Museum, but it is now proposed that the new building there should be an Art Gallery, so as to form a Cultural Centre in conjunction with the Kirk Museum (now to extend into the old Debtor's Prison) and a new large Concert Hall on Tower Street facing Clifford's Tower between Castlegate and Clifford Street.

A new proposal is to build a City Hall to house the scattered Corporation departments, on the Peckitt Street site with frontages to Tower Street and the river. With the adjoining Police Offices and Fire Station, the new Municipal Offices would constitute an admirable Civic Centre.

The ancient Guildhall, and the fine Georgian Mansion House, have been the Headquarters of the City's Government for generations, with the modern Council Chamber and with Offices that are now outgrown. An alternative proposal is that the Municipal Offices should remain at the Guildhall rather than move elsewhere, but this would necessitate extensions on to adjacent sites and into the modern buildings at present part of the G.P.O. premises.

It is hoped that the Assembly Rooms, that fine example of Ge6rgian architecture, will soon be vacated and restored to the public for social and recreational purposes.

Although this area is within the City Walls, it is separated from the main business area by the River Foss. The majority of the property there is obsolete and of little general interest, whilst some areas, e.g. Navigation Road, have already been cleared. Part of the area will be devoted to Housing Schemes, including both flats and ordinary dwelling-houses; in fact, a start was made in Hope Street before the War, and the new houses there fit into the complete layout. The new St. George's School is a feature of the scheme and all property between Margaret Street and George Street, except the old school and ~t. George's Church, will eventually be cleared to form recreation grounds for the school. Between George Street and the River Foss a small area for Light Industry is proposed, while the strip of land between Piccadilly and the River Foss should ultimately be developed as a riverside garden overlooking Clifford's Tower and the Castle Area.

In the Middle Ages the trade of York depended on the use of the River, and there still exists a regular service of freighters between York and London. The King's Staith and the Queen's Staith are the scenes of much activity, and, beyond recommending that care be taken to preserve the amenities, no alteration is suggested.

Between Ouse Bridge and Lendal Bridge, on the West bank of the river, there is much derelict property, and it is proposed that the space between North Street and the river be cleared to allow for the erection of modern commercial offices set in gardens, and a large new hotel between Rougier Street and the river.

On the opposite bank, behind Coney Street, it is proposed that a promenade be constructed, commencing at Hill's Boatyard and terminating at a flight of steps up to the pavement at Ouse Bridge. The promenade would be near water level, with overhanging balconies and steps leading to the shops and gardens. This scheme, if carefully carried out, would form a most attractive feature and provide the one link now missing in the riverside walk which extends on the North bank from Skelton to Bishopthorpe.

Other proposals for making full use of the river and enhancing its beauty include the planting of a screen of suitable smoke-resisting trees along the side of the railway beyond Scarborough Bridge and new riverside pleasure grounds with boating facilities at Clifton and Fulford. We also suggest that the Foss Basin should be used as a boating centre, possibly in conjunction with the use of St. George's Field, on which new swimming baths are planned.

In this property, York has an unique possession-a medieval street with its original characteristics intact, and one where for more than four centuries the successors of those butchers, after whom it was named, have carried on their business. Much of the property has been allowed to fall into disrepair and decay, and it is only due to the purchase by the Corporation that serious losses in this street have been averted. However, much is to be done in order to reconstruct and make full use of this world-famous street. At present it is in a disgraceful condition, but it may well be that restoration on the lines suggested will produce a feature second to none in Europe.

The City Council has had the advice of the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings, who made a survey of the property and presented a report, with illustrations, showing what form, in their view, the restoration should take. We are in full agreement with the spirit and suggestions contained in that report, and some work has already been done towards restoring the buildings at the King's Square end of the Shambles.

The ancient open air Market, beloved of York citizens, is a great obstruction to traffic on the busiest day of the week. Between Great Shambles and Parliament Street is an area of worn-out old property, already partly cleared, known as Gell Garth. The present Plan proposes to extend this cleared area to form a convenient Market Place, set back from main traffic roads. From the Plan and drawings it will he seen that temporary stalls could be erected on this site, as is done at present in Parliament Street, but for day to day sales of perishable goods the permanent stalls in the colonnade would suffice. There is at present on this site a derelict hall which may have been a medieval Gild Hall, and we suggest that this be restored and used as the Market Ha]l. This proposal would free Parliament Street from the serious congestion at present caused by Saturday market, and the new site is so near the present one that the change of location would be immaterial to both sales people and shoppers. It may be thought that there is insufficient space on this site to accommodate all the market stalls, but our considered opinion is that goods other than flowers, farm and dairy produce are best dealt with in the ordinary shops.

The Market Place in York, in medieval surroundings, would then be, in conjunction with the 3hambles, one of the city's most attractive feature.

IMPROVEMENTS IN THE STATION AREA

The original York Station was built inside the Walls, new archways being broken through for the purpose. The present Station, outside the Walls, is, unfortunately, so near as to form a most serious bottleneck through which the proposed Inner Ring Road must pass. In another 50 years or so the Station and Hotel buildings will be out of date and need replacement, and it is proposed that the sharp curve of the lines through the Station should be reduced and the Station buildings set back.

To provide adequately for road traffic at the Station an elongated roundabout is planned on the Ring Road, with "IN" and "OUT" connections to the Station Forecourt and other connections to the present Station Road and through the existing arched openings in the Wall to a new Bus

Station on the site of the old Railway Station. The proposed new Buildings, comprising Station, Hotel and Parcels Office, are grouped round a spacious Forecourt, carefully planned for smooth circulation of traffic and for loading and parking of vehicles, including taxis. Subways under the Ring Road are provided for pedestrians entering and leaving the Station, with direct connections to approach roads and the proposed new Bus Station inside the City Walls.

This proposal to set back the station and Hotel will probably be said to be impracticable. That may well be for the present, on account of the cost, but as a long term proposal a scheme for setting back will have to be carried out if the needs of. modem road traffic are to be met, clear of the Wall.

The retention and preservation of the City Wall of York and improvement of its surroundings are so vitally important as to be a matter₁ not merely of local, or even national, but of international concern, and the question of cost, in this case, becomes secondary.

Until such time as the full scheme can be carried out, the Plan makes provision for the taking of traffic to ~ through between the present Station and the Hotel, and the Walls, and to follow a more devious temporary route to the proposed new Ring Road Bridge, which will span the river between the present Scarborough railway bridge and Marygate Tower.

In order to give direct access for buses entering the Bus Station from the foot of Lendal Bridge, the scheme provides for removal of the L.N.E.R. War Memorial to a more suitable position, where it would form the dominating feature of a fine quadrangle, enclosed by existing and proposed new Railway Offices.

The removal of Queen Street bridge and the direct connection of Blossom Street and Holgate Road to the Station, are features in this vitally important sector of the Inner Ring Road scheme.

Space will permit of only a brief description of certain other proposals for the Central Area.

These include the provision of a new Bus Station in Piccadilly on the site bounded by Piccadilly, Merchantgate and Walmgate. This will serve as a terminus for those bus services which cover the East Riding Area of Yorkshire and at present use the carriageway in Piccadilly as a stance.

The Plan provides for removal of the existing Cattle Market to Osbaldwick, and the use of the site for public purposes. This makes it possible to abolish the Foss Islands Cattle Dock and sidings, provide expansive open space as part of the 'Green Belt", and to develop the whole frontage behind Foss Islands Road with new factories for suitable light industry, conveniently located as regards rail, road and water transport and in relation to existing new housing areas.

On the bombed site at the corner of Davygate and New Street a small square is proposed with the Georgian houses in New Street forming one side of the Square.

It is suggested that the cleared site in Grape Lane and Swinegate should he used for office buildings, built to form a quiet square with a garden in the heart of the City. The main access to the square would be along Swinegate, but archways in the block would lead to Grape Lane and Little Stonegate. The Square would provide car parking accommodation for those using the offices.

The raising and laying out of St. George's Field is proposed, provision being made for a new swimming bath, for car parking, tennis and bowls.

In order to make supplementary accommodation for the housing of Roman antiquities, which are at present contained in the Hospitium, it is suggested that a replica of a Roman Villa be constructed on the site of Marygate Baths, while in the angle of the Abbey Walls, behind Bootham and Marygate, a Sculpture Garden would prove to be a great attraction.

The clearance of the block of property between Fishergate and Fawcett Street - part of the "Green Belt" proposal-would open up the view of the length of the Wall between Fishergate Postern and George Street Bar and provide a pleasing vista to anyone approaching the City from the Fulford direction.

The cleared spaces remaining after the construction of the Inner Ring Road provide many sites for buildings for educational and recreational purposes, also for additional open spaces. For these and other available sites there must obviously be many alternative uses.

York has always been in the forefront of progress. Its Waterworks Company has a long history; its Gas Company was one of the earliest; electricity has been generated profitably by the Corporation for many years, and York was the home of Hudson, the "Railway King," and the headquarters of the old North Eastern Railway Company.

At the time when gasworks and railways were constructed, York was a small City, not extending far beyond its medieval Walls as it does today. In consequence, the siting of railways and gasworks, which was once quite suitable, is now no longer appropriate, particularly when huge modern structures and mechanical plant are needed. The hoist that lifts a coal truck and empties its contents into the hopper used for filling the tenders of railway engines, at the same time liberating clouds of dust to blow over the residential areas; the huge new gasholder that shows up more conspicuously than the Minster towers and dominates a whole suburb, and the new Electricity Works cooling tower, so incongruous when in close juxtaposition to the medieval City Wall, are all examples of unsuitable siting, over which Planning Authorities have, up to the present, had no control. It is to be hoped that under the new Act such blots on the fair face of York will no longer be possible. Is it also too much to hope that both electricity and gas will eventually be generated at the pit-head and that electrification of the railways will follow, contributing to the cleanliness of the City.

The new Act gives greatly increased powers to prevent the offence of unplanned advertising, of which, in York, there are some unfortunate examples.

The Plan now put forward gives wonderful opportunities for Architecture, Civic Design and Landscape.

The Advisory Panel of Architects, the first to be set up at the invitation of the City Council under the special powers of the Town Planning Act of 1925, is available to continue to assist the Corporation in maintaining a high standard in the design of public and private new buildings. It is hoped that with the support and encouragement of the newly-formed Civic Trust and the York Georgian Society, together with the older Yorkshire Architectural and York Archaeological Society, other interested bodies and a great volume of public support, the Corporation, which has already accepted the proposal for the Inner Ring Road, will he able to go forward with this and other schemes now proposed, feeling that, whatever length of time the full programme may take to carry out, they are working to a Plan, and that there is a definite aim. It is obviously more economical to work to a Plan which avoids the necessity of future alterations and whereby each successive stage forms a part of a complete scheme.

At the present time it is quite impossible to estimate the cost of constructional work which may not be carried out for 25 to 50 years. Much of the land can be acquired by the Corporation at site value under present legislation, and considerable areas are already in Public ownership.

The need for the great improvements described in this Central Area Plan is established, and attention is again drawnobject lesson of the 1822 map showing what has been done in times past without any guiding principles.

York now looks to the future!

"Arise; for this matter belongeth unto thee, . . .

Be of good courgage and do it!

- Ezra 10: 4