Residents’ ideas shaping the York Central plans

Playful streets with courtyards, allotments and picnic areas, communal rooftop gardens, an amphitheatre and a village green are some of the ideas that could be taken forward as part of the York Central development.

These are just some of the concepts that emerged from the thousands of post-its and feedback forms contributed by residents during the six-week ‘Festival of York Central’.

After careful analysis and consideration, York Central Partnership are now exploring ways to incorporate a number of themes and ideas into the outline masterplan for the 45 hectare site to be submitted this summer.

The masterplan will evolve to include a number of key themes and areas. These include creating places for people, developing the distinct character and designs of the streets and spaces, better ways to integrate the site with the wider city and the landscape and also embedding design quality in to the plans.

Some of the key areas and ideas that are being considered include:

• Landscape
  • Creating a number of different areas such as a reed garden, a stream garden, a park, a village green and an amphiteatre into the great park
• Streets
  • Creating a mixture of streets public spaces, semi public courtyards and quiet streets with a number of different elements to encourage playful and social aspects to the communities. These could include courtyards, quiet areas, picnic spaces, allotments and teentrails or skateparks
  • The design of the streets and how they can be integrated more seamlessly into the spaces to manage traffic speeds and improve pedestrians and cycle routes in and around the whole space
• Movement
  • Developing the design of the main road through the scheme and how it integrates with the park and York Yard South. Different designs for the main bridge from Water End are also being progressed.
• Spaces
  • Creating clear identities of street, neighbourhoods and spaces to establish a sense of character and place in each area such as the Foundry village, the Station Quarter and Museum quarter
• Different arrangements of spaces, building types, pitched and green roofs, communal rooftops, materials and heights across the whole scheme to create distinct identities and characters for each neighbourhood.

There is also more work being undertaken to develop a greater mix of uses with an emphasis on public spaces and workspaces but also how these can be more integrated with living spaces, as well as a key focus on the design comitments and quality that will be brought forward. This will include an emphasis on character and quality, heights,  views and sustainability.

Tamsin Hart-Jones, project lead from York Central Partnership, said: “The response we had has been inspiring and it’s clear that there is a significant appetite for York Central to be a ground-breaking scheme for the city, but also to be held up as an example nationally of high-quality design.   This is about creating places for people and making vibrant neighbourhoods and working environments, through a mix of uses and different types of public and private spaces, both inside and outside buildings that bring this area of the city to life.

“The ideas and feedback we received have really helped us to move the plans on and we are looking forward to sharing them and continuing the conversation around the emerging designs with York residents over the coming weeks.”

Feedback is also helping to amend the overall vision of the site with additional focus placed on the developments sustainability, as well as looking at ways that York Central could be a hub for sharing, creativity and innovation.

 

The following points summarise the main changes and are labelled on the drawing:

1. New western entrance to station
A new point of arrival with additional concourse facilities, bus stops and passenger drop-off.

2. The New Square
A new civic space and entrance for the station, Museum and the city.

3. Improved connection through Marble Arch/Leeman Road tunnel
Potential for safer, easier routes for pedestrians and cyclists.

4. Expanded National Railway Museum
Creation of expanded Museum.

5. Commercial district
New workspace, offices and homes. Food, drink and retail uses at ground floor, establishing a complementary offer to existing destinations in the city centre.

6. Boulevard
Connection for pedestrians and cyclists from The Great Park to The New Square.

7. The Great Park
New park for existing and future residents with a wide range of activities along its length. Connecting from the River Ouse Corridor and Millennium Green to The New Square. Incorporation of steam rides from the Museum, a range of habitats for wildlife and areas for the storage of water during periods of high rainfall.

8. York Yard South
Predominantly residential neighbourhood with apartments between the railway edge and The Great Park.

9. Foundry Village
A new, predominantly residential neighbourhood comprising terraces, townhouses and some apartments.

10. Foundry
Potential for re-use of existing buildings for community, education or enterprise.

11. Western access
New western access route from Water End through to the city. Key route for public transport with segregated routes for pedestrians and cyclists. Detailed alignment and relationship with Millennium Green being considered.

12. Millennium Green
Opportunity to enhance the character of this natural open space and link to The Great Park.

13. Improved southern access
Improved pedestrian and cycle access either via Wilton Rise of Chancery Rise.

14. Improved connection to Salisbury Terrace area
Opportunities to improve the route to Kingsland Terrace for existing and future residents and onto Riverside.

15. Diversion of Leeman Road
The road will be diverted around the park towards the city, to enable the development of York Central.