City preparing for its biggest planning decisions in 40 years

THE most important development blueprint in four decades for one of Yorkshire’s most prized cities will be revealed this autumn .

An economic masterplan for York has been drawn up during the last 12 months and will drive forward a series of multi-million-pound developments over the next 30 years, while also attempting to solve major problems including traffic tailbacks and a lack of affordable housing.

It is being heralded as the most important strategy for the city since Lord Esher’s groundbreaking study on conservation was published in 1969.

Lord Esher outlined a desire to see large parts of York pedestrianised and urged planners to encourage more city centre living – wishes that have both become a reality.

A team of architects, economic experts and transport consultants has been working with planners from York Council on the new strategy, which is being overseen by Professor Alan Simpson, who has worked on urban masterplans around the world.

A leading architect, Guy Hanson, who has worked on major developments including a 20m scheme at Clarence Dock in Leeds city centre, is one of the leading figures in helping to execute the strategy.

He said: “The whole point of the new document is to provide a co-ordinated approach over the next 30 years so that any business or industry which is looking to invest in York has a clear idea of exactly where the city is heading.

“We are hoping to publish the document in the next couple of months, but it is not the end of the process – it is the start of providing this co-ordinated vision for the city.”

York’s heritage and increasingly diverse economy, which has seen a boom in tourism and a greater reliance on research and technological industries, will be used as the foundations for the economic masterplan. However, Mr Hanson admitted York is blighted by problems including a poor road network and high property prices as well as the need to repair pavements and improve landscaping.

The new strategy is aiming to provide a clear vision for developments such as the 500m expansion of York University and the 200m re-development of the former Terry’s chocolate factory site.

However, the recession hit the construction industry extremely hard, including one of the region’s biggest schemes in York.

It emerged in September last year that the economic downturn had forced a halt to the search for a developer to oversee the 1bn York Central project. However, York Council leader Andrew Waller has stressed he remained confident the project will eventually become a reality.

Other major schemes include the council’s plans to relocate to a new headquarters and the regeneration of the Castle-Piccadilly area to create a shopping district.

The economic masterplan has been modelled on the Renaissance Market Towns initiative, a pioneering 10-year plan aiming to use rural towns as economic development hubs to regenerate the wider communities.

It is the first time that a Renaissance project has been launched on such a large scale. The regional development agency, Yorkshire Forward, and English Heritage have both contributed to the scheme, which is costing more than 250,000.

Yorkshire Forward’s director of environment, Jan Anderson, said: “York is an important city within the region with more than 2,000 years of history in two square miles, a place that is renowned worldwide for it culture, academia and architecture and a key tourist destination.”

A date has yet to be set for when the economic masterplan will be published, although it is due to be released by the end of the year.

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