York Mazda in Layerthorpe to close on July 31, 2026

Vertu Mazda has been consulting colleagues about the closure of its garage in Layerthorpe, saying the state of the economy had forced them to make tough decisions.

The company has now informed customers of the York site’s final day in operation.

The Vertu Mazda garage in Layerthorpe, York, which will close permanently on July 31, 2026. (Image: Kevin Glenton)

In a message to customers, the company wrote: “As a valued Vertu customer we are writing to inform you that Vertu Mazda York will be permanently closing on 31st July 2026.

“To ensure you continue to receive the high-quality service and care you’ve come to expect, Vertu Renault York (located just three miles away from Vertu Mazda York) will now support your ongoing sales, servicing and repair needs and the colleagues there look forward to serving you.”

The news comes after customer Andrew Mortimer spoke of his shock when his yearly service was cancelled within a week of him booking it, and he was told to contact the Mazda garage in Harrogate, which would have involved a 50-mile round trip.

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Vertu Renault York is at Clifton Moor Gate and serves customers from York and surrounding areas, including Wetherby, Pontefract, Leeds, Thirsk, Hull and Scarborough.

Vertu’s spokesperson previously said: “We are carefully reviewing the financial viability of our Mazda York dealership and have made the tough decision to enter consultation with our colleagues, with a view to potentially close the site.

“It would be improper to schedule customers for servicing beyond the date of the consultation.

“However, we are providing customers with details about meeting their ongoing service and warranty requirements.”

Vertu also runs the BMW, Dacia, and Mini dealerships in Clifton Moor Gate, along with an accident repair centre there.

It also operates Vauxhall and Volkswagen showrooms in St James Retail Park, Knaresborough, the Mazda garage in Harrogate and a number of sites in Leeds and further afield in Yorkshire.

Developers have been eyeing up the site which is on the edge of York city centre for several years.

In 2024, London-based purpose-built student flats developer Danehurst Development Ltd revealed it hoped to build a four to five-storey block building containing 234 flats on the site which was being used by Burrows Mazda at the time.

A letter to City of York Council from London-based planning agents ROK Planning at the time said: “The site in its current form is an under-utilised brownfield site in much need of redevelopment.”

In September last year, city councillors blocked new plans by Danehurst Developments for a 220-room student development.

As reported, the council’s planning officer had highlighted requirements included in the Local Plan on the loss of employment land, development of student housing, as well as design obligations “to respect, conserve or enhance the special historic character of the city centre and setting of the riverside.”

The Local Plan states that the local authority would “expect the applicant to provide evidence, proportionate to the size of the site, of effective marketing of the site/premises for employment uses for a reasonable period of time, and in most cases not less than 18 months.”

Matthew Roe, agent for the applicant, said at the time that the applicant had been “working collaboratively with the council since February 2023″ and had started marketing the site “relatively recently”.

Concerns were also raised about flood risks on the site.

Mr Roe said that insurance policy excesses for flood on the application site would render any business using the ground floor unviable and the applicant’s detailed employment report goes through alternative employment uses, from re-using the existing building, to knocking the building down and building an office, and why those options were unviable.