Approval marked for phase one of York Central
Plans for more than 1,000 new homes, a 200-plus bedroom hotel, offices, shops, and leisure space have been recommended for approval.
The proposals form the fifth reserved matters application for the £2.5bn York Central regeneration scheme and will be considered by City of York Council’s planning committee next week.
The application covers 26 acres of the wider 114 acre York Central site, to the west of York city centre.
If approved, the plans would bring forward 1,014 homes across several development plots, alongside a new western entrance to York Railway Station, a cycle hub, hotel, office building, public square and new central park.
Masterplanner Allies and Morrison has led on the scheme, as well as landscape specialists Grant Associates, with Sheppard Robson, Cartwright Pickard, Corstorphine & Wright, Haworth Tompkins, 3D Reid, and re-form completing the wider team of architects.
The scheme is being brought forward by joint venture development partners McLaren Property and Arlington Real Estate, Homes England, and Network Rail, in close collaboration with key stakeholders, the City of York Council, and the National Railway Museum.
York Central is one of the UK’s largest regeneration projects and is roughly around two-thirds of the size of the historic walled city.
With more than £135m of government funding already secured for infrastructure, the development is expected to create up to 6,500 direct and indirect new jobs, while an independent viability study expects York Central to help grow York’s economy by 20% by adding £1.1bn GVA to the city.
New station entrance and hotel
Plots C3 and C4, within the Station Quarter, would provide a new western entrance to York Railway Station and a cycle hub with secure storage for at least 300 bikes.
The adjoining plot would accommodate a hotel with more than 200 bedrooms. Current plans show 213 bedrooms, including 11 accessible rooms, although the final internal layout could change once a hotel operator is confirmed.
The developer expects the hotel to operate as a three or four-star venue. Ground-floor retail and leisure units are also proposed as part of the development.
Offices and homes
A seven-storey office building is proposed for Plot D2. The building would include space for smaller businesses and start-ups, with serviced workspace potentially provided on the first and second floors.
The upper floors would provide more traditional office accommodation, while the sixth floor would include external terraces overlooking York Minster and the city walls.
The plans would also deliver housing across four areas of the masterplan: Plot E would provide 144 homes, comprising 19 townhouses and 125 apartments, alongside four ground-floor commercial units. Plots F3 and F4 would deliver 508 build-to-rent homes, together with resident amenity space and almost 32,100 sq ft of retail and leisure accommodation.
A further 362 homes are proposed on Plots K and L in the Foundry Quarter. These would include a mix of open market and social rent homes, designed to be tenure blind, alongside a convenience store of around 4,630 sq ft.
New public spaces
The proposals also include Coal Drops Square, a new civic public space featuring planting and stepped terraces.
A new Central Park would run through the heart of the York Central site, providing formal and informal play opportunities.
The linear park would stretch for around 550 metres and be framed by key pedestrian and cycle routes.
Changes increase housing numbers
The scheme has been amended during the planning process following feedback from council officers and consultees, and include increasing the total number of homes from 999 to 1,014.
There has also been a small reduction in retail and leisure floorspace, with the commercial provision across F3 and F4 reduced by around 200 sq ft.
Other changes include revised building designs, alterations to highways and access arrangements, increased cycle parking, additional car club and motorcycle spaces, landscaping changes, and amendments to drainage proposals.
The Coal Drops Square proposals have also been revised to update walking, wheeling, and cycling routes to the new western station entrance and cycle hub.
The council’s planning officers have recommended the application for approval when members meet to determine the proposals next week.
The application follows the outline planning permission already granted for York Central. Infrastructure completed so far includes a new road running from Salisbury Road to Marble Arch, which has opened.
Also open to the public again is the grade two-listed National Railway Museum, following an £11m renovation project led by Buttress Architects.
If this goes ahead I hope it will have GP and Dentist in the planing also consider school’s for this area.
By Mrs Edith caygill