Presentation from the European Mobility Week 2015 full-day training workshop held on 15 April 2015 at Camden Town Hall, organised by Act TravelWise with financial support from the Department for Transport.

1. How a Street Party in 2010 led to
Award Winning York Bishyroad.net
trader organisation
Anna Semlyen: @AnnaSemlyen1
EMW UK Volunteer Coordinator 2015
( (& City of York Councillor)

2. Bishy Road map

3. Bishy Road Background
• Bishopthorpe Road has a local arcade of shops
South Bank, York
• Approx 70 independent traders (except
Sainsbury’s Local & a betting shop)
• Post office & Terry’s chocolate factory closed
• Competition from out of town supermarkets.
in 2010 traders worried re future/recession

4. Street Party = Eureka Moment
• Carfree Cities conference organisers asked Bishy
road traders/City of York council for a street party
road closure
• Traders got together an email list & formed
traders organisation - Johnny Hayes chair
• 6.00pm on 2nd July 2010 it closed to traffic. By
6.15pm 3,000 people eagerly supported a local
parade of independent shop keepers. Traders
mouths literally fell open in disbelief!
• Perhaps shops were popular and were going to
do alright despite the recession?

5. Street Party = Digital Cooperation Too!
• Digital communication and cooperation has
blossomed. Bishyroad.net has strong brand,
70 businesses, twitter, newsletter, facebook,
regular meetings. £30 pa to join
• Professional media company Pick & Mix media
promote independent business offers and
discounts.
• Heart of the community logo for
Bishyroad.net

6. Bishy Road Events
• Carfree Conference Street Party 2010 - &
subsequent yearly car free parties.
• ‘Jubolympics’ 2012
• Traders championed safer 20mph limits – Sept
2013 installed
• Annual light displays – crowd funded in 10 days at
£10 per bulb (£4,500). 3,000 attended switch on
• ‘Bishy in Bloom’
• J’Adore Bishy Rue Tour De France Street party -
10,000+ attendees. BBC coverage
• Tour de Yorkshire street party - 2 May 2015

7. Tour de France party Bishy Road
Cakes!

8. Bishy Rd Awards
• Point of Light award to chair Johnny Hayes for
high street regeneration from Prime Minister
March 2015
• Top 3 best parades in Britain - GB High Street
Awards, by the Department for Communities &
Local Government
• Best dressed street by Le Tour organisers. BBC
based their breakfast coverage.
• Independent traders all win York Community
Pride Award for Service with a Smile 2014.

9. Johnny Hayes with awards

10. ‘Notting Hill’ of the North & Street
Parties as Economic Stimulus
• Community spirit apparent
• Traders flourishing & property prices
rising fast
• Johnny Hayes on local and DCLG
National Speaking tours re high
street regeneration
• City of York Council Economic
Scrutiny report on Digital skills
March 2015 recommends Street
Closures as catalyst for digital
cooperation & economic strength, -
recommend council offer free
/discount street closures to trader
organisations.

11. Conclusions
A car free street party helped a York independent
trader organisation to form & flourish
Street parties are good for business!
Bishyroad.net is a great case study
* car free success
* economic development
* community & cooperation
* wealth creation