Network Rail has signed a £1.1bn agreement to regenerate one of UK’s largest brownfield sites – York Central – in a significant boost the economy.
image for illustration: Aerial view of York by DACP, CC BY-SA 2.0, Commons Wikimedia
Network Rail writes:
The development near York railway station has the potential to create up to 6,500 jobs and help grow York’s economy by 20%. We’ve signed a development agreement with Homes England, the government’s housing and regeneration agency, and developers McLaren Property and Arlington Real Estate to be strategic development partners for York Central. It’s one of the UK’s biggest city centre regeneration schemes, covering 45 hectares. We’ll work together to transform the site alongside partners, the City of York Council and National Railway Museum. It will mean 2,500 new homes – including 20% affordable housing – and up to a million square feet of office, retail and hospitality space, to the back of York station. We’ll also be improving York station and National Railway Museum. Plus, York Central will include a new 17-acre urban park. In fact, the development has allocated 50% of the site to green space that will connect the new development to the surrounding neighbourhoods and the city centre. Prep has already started, with £135m of infrastructure works. We’re building 2km of new roads, including bus lanes, segregated footpaths and cycleways, and two new bridges.
Robin Dobson, group property director at Network Rail, called the wider project ‘a hugely important scheme’ and ‘a major step forward’ for the city. Tom Gilman, regional managing director of McLaren Property, said: ‘This is a fantastic opportunity for the city and a milestone moment in the delivery of York Central.’ Allan Cook, founder of Arlington Real Estate, said: ‘York Central is recognised as one of the largest city centre regeneration schemes in the UK and will deliver huge benefits, not only for the people of York and its visitors, but for the wider economy.’ We couldn’t agree more and can’t wait to see this project come to life.
