York Central Partnership has submitted an application for planning permission for York Central, one of the largest city centre brownfield sites in the UK, with a view to starting on site in 2019.
The visionary masterplan will transform an underused part of the city centre, creating vibrant new residential, cultural and business neighbourhoods in the heart of York. Once complete it is expected to increase the size of York’s economy by over 20 per cent and create around 6,500 jobs.
The application marks the culmination of an extensive planning and engagement process that began back in 2016 and included the ‘Festival of York Central’, which saw 43 events held over a six week period, including drop-in family events, workshops in local schools, walking and cycling tours, and film screenings.
The outline planning application for the York Central masterplan includes provision for the comprehensive redevelopment of the site including up to 2,500 homes; new office, retail and leisure uses; community and hotel uses; car parking; a new access road and pedestrian and cycling access points; open spaces including a great park and the expansion of the National Railway Museum. It also includes a new western concourse and new access to York Railway Station.
Once validated the application will undergo a 30 day statutory consultation period as part of the planning process, where anyone who wishes to make their views known on the development can. The application can be found at the City of York’s planning website https://planningaccess.york.gov.uk/online-applications/ and will be available once the application has been validated. Representations made after this period may also be taken into consideration. The Local Planning Authority is required to make decisions within sixteen weeks for major developments subject to an Environmental Impact Assessment.
A ‘Design Guide’, which has the ambition of ensuring York Central is an ‘exemplar’ development, has been drawn up after extensive consultation with the public, planning officers and organisations such as Historic England, and the City of York Council has endorsed the submission of the guidelines into the formal planning process.
It includes both mandatory requirements and advisory guidelines, and covers everything from clear guidelines on the height, massing and levels of buildings to the need for manhole covers to blend in with the landscape.
York Central is a collaborative partnership between Homes England, Network Rail, the City of York Council and the National Railway Museum.
Tamsin Hart-Jones, project lead from York Central Partnership, said: “This is a huge step forward in the delivery of York Central and in the future of York as we seek permission for the masterplan.
“A positive decision will unlock this underused piece of land and demonstrate a commitment to seeing it brought forward for the good of the city and its residents. We would encourage as many people as possible to view the plans and make comments to the planning authority within the consultation period. This is part of playing an active role in how York Central evolves, as the masterplan is the blueprint for future development on the site, but what actually gets built can still be shaped.”
A further detailed planning application for the new western access at Water End and road network is expected in September.
The plans for York Central have been developed by architecture and planning consultants Allies and Morrison and Arup with landscape architects Gustafson Porter + Bowman. They have been supported by Savills and Turner & Townsend.
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