Your questions about Leeman Road answered…

In the article below we answer your questions asked about the planned changes to Leeman Road and new access routes around the York Central site…

1. What is York Central?

York Central is one of the UK’s largest city centre regeneration sites, offering a unique opportunity to create a vibrant, distinctive residential, cultural and commercial space at the heart of one of the country’s most historic cities.

York Central puts the railway at the heart of this new commercial, residential and cultural community. The project demonstrates the pivotal role our railway can play in unlocking sites which deliver growth and jobs.

When completed, the scheme will provide up to 2,500 homes, over 1 million sq. ft. of commercial space for offices, retail and leisure, providing a significant boost for the local economy. It will also deliver improved connectivity and access, as well as significant public realm and open spaces, including an urban park.

It is the largest development opportunity in York and its sub region, which is one of the least affordable places to live in the North of England. 20% of new homes built will be designated as affordable housing.

The development will also enable: a new accessible western railway station entrance which will be accessed directly from York Central; and a new Central Hall development at the National Railway Museum as part of its wider transformative masterplan.

2. What are the improvements to the National Railway Museum?

Central Hall is part of the National Railway Museum’s transformative masterplan – to become the cultural anchor of our changing neighbourhood, as well as a world-class visitor attraction. Their masterplan is made up of a number of connected projects, including revitalised green spaces, a reimagining of our Great and Station Halls and a new interactive gallery, ‘Wonderlab: The Bramall Gallery’.

Central Hall is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to unite the National Railway Museum site for the first time and provide a stunning welcome and reception area for visitors from all over the world. The National Railway Museumalready welcomes 750,000 people to the museum every year, serving the people of York, as well as many visitors from all over the UK and globally. Central Hall is part of a vision that will help to attract 1.2 million visitors every year, bringing in new audiences and aiming to inspire the next generation.

Further information on the National Railway Museum’s transformative masterplan can be found at:

www.railwaymuseum.org.uk/ourmasterplan

 

3. What consents have already been granted?

The principal consents granted to date are:

• Outline planning consent for the whole of York Central approved in December 2019 (18/01884/OUTM)

• Reserved matters approval for the York Central infrastructure approved in November 2020 (20/00710/REMM)
• The Department for Transport Stopping Up Order for part of Leeman Road granted in September 2021 (https://www.hwa.uk.com/site/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/YH3854_Made_Order.pdf )

• Reserved matters approved for the National Railway Museum’s Central Hall approved in August 2022 (21/02793/REMM)

The Council planning portal has full details of all planning applications and decisions for York Central: https://www.york.gov.uk/SearchPlanningApplications

 

4. What will happen to Leeman Road?

As part of the previously approved outline planning consent for the York Central site, a part of Leeman Road will be stopped up once alternative routes are in place. It will be stopped up between the National Railway Museum Leeman Road entrance and the Bullnose building.

Only when these alternative routes are provided will the section of Leeman Road between the two halves of the National Railway Museum site be ‘stopped up’. This part of the road will no longer be a public highway.

 

5. What is a stopping up order?

A stopping up order removes public highway status from a route.

An application for a stopping up order was made by Homes England, the National Railway Museum and Network Rail to the Department for Transport. Following a public inquiry, the stopping up of Leeman Road was approved by the Secretary of State in September 2021. Full details are at: https://www.hwa.uk.com/projects/york-central-stopping-up-inquiry/

 

6. What will be in place before the stopping up is implemented?

An alternative public highway route will be in place prior to the implementation of the stopping up of Leeman Road. This will be a newly constructed all-purpose route from the corner of the existing Leeman Road near the Kingsland Terrace Railway underpass round to Marble Arch.  In addition, a pedestrian and cycle route will be provided along a new route via a new street (Foundry Way) and new pedestrian/cycle route (Hudson Boulevard) from Leeman Road (near to the existing car wash premises) around the south side of the museum and through to Marble Arch. Both routes will include footways, segregated cycle routes, lighting, landscaping and CCTV.

 

7. When will these changes happen?

Work on the site clearance and preparing the land for infrastructure at the York Central development commenced in 2022. Homes England awarded a highway infrastructure works contract to John Sisk & Son in July 2022.

The works required to provide the alternative highway routes that enable the stopping up to be implemented are planned to be completed by Autumn 2023. The connection through to Water End is anticipated to complete in 2025.

It is anticipated that the works on the National Railway Museum Central Hall scheme will start in 2023 and run through to 2025, when the new Central Hall will be opened and the walkway route will become available.

 

8. What will be the impact on highway routes during the construction phase?

To enable the new highway to be constructed there will be some temporary disruption to the way people move around the area. For some works road closures or temporary traffic signals will need to be in place on Leeman Road and Water End. The periods of disruption will be kept to the minimum possible and diversions will be provided where necessary.

All restrictions will be progressed through statutory Streetworks and Highway Regulation processes with CYC and with the public provided with advance notice of any changes.

 

9. How much longer are the alternative routes?

The impact of the changes will depend on the mode of travel and route of the journeys.

For cyclists: The route will be up to 400 metres longer along the new Foundry Way and Hudson Boulevard route which will be low traffic or dedicated pedestrian/cycling areas.

For pedestrians: The route will be up to 400 metres longer for journeys to Marble Arch, along the new Foundry Way and Hudson Boulevard route.  This will be low traffic or dedicated pedestrian/cycling areas.  When the museum is open to the public, there will also be a Walkway Route approx. 35 metres longer than the current Leeman Road route, which will follow the alignment of Leeman Road through the National Railway Museum site and new Central Hall.

For vehicles: The additional route will be up to 1.2km longer, depending on the starting point through to Marble Arch. Journeys to Boroughbridge Road from the properties on Leeman Road will shorten by up to 200m on the new spine road, avoiding the residential streets around Kingsland Terrace when the construction of the new road through to Water end is completed.

For more information about York Central or any specific queries on Leeman Road, contact yorkcentral@homesengland.gov.uk.