Councillors agree road route to '˜unlock' huge York Central brownfield redevelopment site

Water End has been identified for the route of a new access road, bridge and spine road to the 72-hectare York Central site after the proposal was agreed by York Council’s decision-making executive body this week.

A planning application will now be submitted in the autumn and detailed design work will get underway.

The decision follows another milestone for the York Central site. An outline planning application was submitted for the plot’s redevelopment earlier in the week.

The application is for a mixed-use development comprising of up to 2,500 homes, up to 87,693 sq m of space for business use, a further 11,991 sq m of retail and leisure space, some 12,120 sq m to expand the National Railway Museum and provide space for community uses, as well as for hotels with up to 400 bedrooms.

Following the meeting of the executive, Coun Ian Gillies, leader of York Council, said: “Accessing the site has always been the big difficulty and I’m pleased that we have now been able to develop a solution alongside partners that is right for the city.”

During the road route discussions, the York Central Partnership has been working with the Millennium Green Trust to minimise the impact of any new road on the Millennium Green.

A deal has been agreed for a license to use some of the land during construction, the landscaping of this land when the access road is completed, the use of alternative land to replace the plot, and a payment of £375,000 to the Trust to secure its future and fund a maintenance programme.