By Chloe LaversuchWork to install anti-terror bollards has been brought forward to protect York's Christmas market shoppers.Permanent barriers were due to be built at Parliament Street outside All Saints Church after Christmas but the council will now start work on 9 October.
The council said it meant "more attractive" measures would be in place in time for the festive season.The permanent barriers mean the council can reduce the number of locations where temporary protection measures were needed, the council said. Sliding bollards were scheduled to be installed on Blake Street between 16 October and 24 November but the work will now take place in January 2024, the council confirmed.Work at Minster Gates will take a week longer than planned after complex pipe works were discovered
Work to install barriers at Minster Gates, close to York Minster, will also take longer than expected because of "complex pipe and cable work," according to the authority. It said: "Extra time needs to be spent on installing the hostile vehicle measures. This point protects visitors enjoying views of the Minster as well as discovering the shops in Minster Gates."David Colthup, chapter steward and chief operating officer at York Minster, said: "The bollards at Minster Gates are part of the council's wider security measures for the city, but reflect the importance of the heritage setting of the iconic South Transept of York Minster.