The City of York Council’s Executive will this week decide whether to approve plans to install permanent anti-terrorism protection measures in the city centre.

North Yorkshire Police and Counter Terrorism Police have strongly advised the council that not having proactive measures is ‘an unacceptable risk’.

In a bid to combat the threat of ‘vehicle as weapon attacks’ like those seen in Toronto, London and Nice, hostile vehicle measures (HVM) in the form of permanent, sliding and fixed bollards will be put in place to protect York’s footstreet area.

Counter-terrorism experts identified the most effective locations for these measures, with police advising emergency-only vehicle access, which the council is implementing from October 2022.

The work will begin in January and is planned to last until April 2023. This priority protection requires an additional £1.75m to be allocated.

Cllr Andy D’Agorne, deputy leader and executive member for Transport, said: ‘By installing a visible deterrent and a physical barrier to hostile vehicles, we are following expert advice which is in line with proposed legislation for local authorities responsible for roads, squares and pedestrianised areas.

‘This new legislation will require councils across the country to respect terrorist threat levels, assess the risk, and implement protective security and preparedness measures.

‘Due to high levels of footfall in York city centre we, as well as other cities, have been working to ensure protective measures are in place as soon as possible.’