Residents call for rethink of museum expansion

YORK CITY Council and railway museum chiefs need to look again at plans for the museum’s expansion over Leeman Road, residents have said.

The National Railway Museum’s plan for a new gallery linking its two buildings on either side of Leeman Road is part of the new York Central masterplan, but people from the area have this week urged council chiefs to look again at the scheme.

The proposals would see the road diverted and pedestrian access open through museum opening hours, but shut off at night.

Leeman road resident Emily Nelson told councillors that would send people walking home to the area via a new park – a much less safe place to walk at night.

At the same time, Holgate councillor Kallum Taylor said he believed the city could do much better on access through the NRM’s planned new site.

It is not “mutually exclusive” for the NRM to get a new gallery linking its two sites and for people to be able to get through the site on a safe, accessible and welllit route at any time of the day or night.

They were speaking at a meeting of City of York council’s ruling executive, when members were asked to approve the new masterplan and give staff the green light to start working on the first planning applications.

There were also pleas for commercial space to be prioritised over housing, with city resident and former housing chief Richard Clark saying the site’s key location means economic growth there is key to the city’s success, while new homes can be built elsewhere.