Member Article

York Council and Network Rail agree on brownfield partnership worth £10 million

City of York Council and Network Rail have confirmed that they have partnered up to deliver a major brownfield development site.

This follows significant investment by City of York Council, of up to £10 million of the Economic Infrastructure Fund (EIF) to help kick-start development on the York Central Site.

The council and Network Rail have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for York Central which will see the two partners working together to develop a scheme that will provide a minimum of 480 new homes as well as high-quality office space.

The MoU is the first step toward a more formal partnership to bring forward development, which is planned to start on site early 2016.

The two partners have been working since last year to develop an initial masterplan for the site, as well as working to attract major funding from central Government for critical infrastructure to the site.

To date, £27 million has been raised for transport infrastructure in and around the site and Station Gateway from the West Yorkshire Plus Transport Fund, and £1.65 million for site remediation from the Leeds City Region Local Growth Fund.

Members of the public will have an opportunity to see the proposals and have their say during a consultation on the initial masterplan for the site over the coming months, with an aim to start a first phase of works on the site in 2015.

Development has begun on the site with the opening of Network Rail’s £36 million Workforce Development Centre and Rail Operating Centre, earlier this year.

Kersten England, chief executive of City of York Council, said: “This agreement is a major milestone in a relationship that we have been developing with Network Rail over the past three and a half years.

“It signals a significant turning point in both the site’s history, as well as the city’s. It builds on the momentum for brownfield site development seen in Hungate and on the Terry’s site both already in development.

“The site will offer the city an opportunity to address the acute, growing shortage of high-quality office space, as well as addressing the severe challenges the city faces in providing homes for York residents.”

Phil Verster, managing director for Network Rail’s LNE & EM route, said: “This is a very positive step towards developing this challenging site.

“We have been working hard with City of York Council to produce a plan which will allow phased and achievable development, and which uses this large piece of land to maximum benefit for York residents and businesses alike.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Clare Burnett .