£30m revamp of city takes first steps
Millions invested to kick-start project
YORK: A long-awaited £30m redevelopment scheme will help tackle the exodus of shops from the heart of one of Yorkshire’s most visited destinations, a council leader has claimed.
City of York Council’s ruling executive approved an initial £2.4 million investment to start working on planning applications for a city revamp.
A LONG-AWAITED £30m redevelopment scheme will help tackle the exodus of shops from the heart of one of Yorkshire’s most visited destinations, a council leader has claimed.
City of York Council’s ruling executive approved an initial £2.4 million investment to start working on planning applications for a new multi-storey car park on St George’s Field, a public square and open space around Clifford’s Tower and new buildings on the back of Coppergate and the old Reynard’s site at Piccadilly – known as the Castle Gateway scheme.
The decisions on Thursday will also let staff start looking for a contractor to build the new car park and apply for funds to bridge a £7.5m funding gap.
The authority’s leader Coun Ian Gillies told The Yorkshire Post: “It is something that has been on the cards in York for decades.
“The big thing about this is it has gone out to consultation and people have been asked what their vision is. We have taken all these things on board and come up with a masterplan.
“I am really encouraged by the public’s vision; it’s a massive thing.
“The whole scheme, which will be done in four stages, is going to cost about £30m and I hope it will act as a conduit to bring people into the city centre.”
York has a number of out-oftown shopping parks, including the recently built Vangarde Shopping Park at Monks Cross, raising fears among businesses that the developments have caused “significant” damage to the city centre.
Coun Gillies said the ambitious project was one of two city-centre regeneration schemes that were going to come forward this year.
He said: “We have just closed the consultation on York Central (next to York Railway Station) and we will be coming forward with something on that hopefully later this year. It’s really exciting times.
“I appreciate that big shops are closing, and Coney Street, with all the boarded windows, is not particularly attractive, so we have to have a new approach there. We are suffering the same as everywhere else.
“We can’t just sit back and pontificate, we need to do something about it and this scheme is one of a number of things we hope to do; however, it’s not a magic wand.”
The proposals got the backing of opposition councillors with Labour councillor Stuart Barnes saying the plans would get no “political nay-saying” from his group, while Green leader Andy D’Agorne said while he was worried that parts of the city could lose views to Clifford’s Tower, that would be cleared up in detailed planning applications.
Coun Gillies said: “The project is going to take time over several administrations, but it’s nice to know it is being backed across the political divide, which does help.”
With this week’s decision, the Arts Barge group will also be granted a lease for their mooring near Tower Gardens and Castle Mills car park will be leased to the developers at Ryedale House while that building work is carried out.
I hope it will act as a conduit to bring people into the city centre. City of York Council leader Coun Ian Gillies.