PARKING in the city centre and outside homes could be overhauled as two separate reviews are launched by councillors.

With tightened security coming into force around the city centre, councillors have been asked to help find ways of making sure disabled people aren't hit by changes which restrict access and parking inside the city walls.

At the same time, Green party councillor Andy D'Agorne has pushed for a review of residents' parking all over the city, saying permits could be made cheaper by using technology like automatic number plate recognition, and rolled out to more streets. That in turn would encourage commuters and visitors to use the Park and Ride and cut traffic on congested routes into the city centre, he added.

Councillors on the economy policy committee agreed this week to launch a formal review into city centre access, with a smaller group looking at ResPark before coming back to the policy committee later in the year.

At the meeting on Tuesday, parking boss James Gilchrist told councillors the ruling executive had agreed to tighten security in the city centre on the advice of police earlier in the year.

While there is no specific risk to York the country as a whole has a heightened level of security, he added.

He said his department had been asked to look at ways of mitigating the impact of changes on disabled people and businesses, and wanted councillors to help come up with new policies.

Meanwhile Cllr D'Agorne had proposed ResPark be the subject of a scrutiny review, and on Tuesday said he did not want that to be confused with the issue of city centre access.

He said the cost of permits often puts people off pushing for new ResParks scheme near their homes, and York's charges are three times higher than in neighbouring areas like Harrogate and Scarborough.