More details have been released about a major refurbishment to York Station.
Work has already begun on the wider £26m York Station Gateway project, which will see the Queen Street Bridge demolished and a public square created.
In February YorkMix revealed LNER’s ambition to also create a glazed portico at the front of the station.
But the original plans met with some opposition, with one resident saying it made “York Station look like a refurbished Victorian prison”.
Now a new planning application with a redesigned portico upgrade has been submitted.
“This proposed scheme seeks to turn it into a welcoming environment full of life: a fitting entrance to the station and the city,” the new plans state.
“Although the portico is still in the same use as originally intended – the dropping-off and picking up of passengers – today the vast majority of travellers arrive and leave on foot,” documents go on.
“The priority given to motor vehicles now appears out of proportion with modern patterns of use. Exhaust fumes from idling cars also creates a significant problem of poor air quality: the portico was assessed by City of York Council in 2017 as having the worst of all measured areas in the city.”
With the road, taxi rank and bus stop all being moved as part of the gateway plan, the opportunity arises to glaze and repave the portico.
The new design would
- increase the number of openings on the east elevation by removing the concrete balustrading flanking the existing central doorway;
- include a ‘relatively discreet’ doorway in each end arch; and
- install two matching retail kiosks.
The external bus canopy would go, and advertising posters, ‘excessive signage’ and redundant cables would also be removed.
The glazed portico would not be heated, but would be ‘relatively draught- free’ to encourage people to linger.
“The retail pods have been designed as small as possible to still be commercially viable for tenants. Their shape on plan and position on plan is tailored to minimise visual impact relative to the key views and alignments,” say documents.
“The station frontage will appear significantly tidier and more ‘complete’ in long views – and far closer to its original design, despite the new doorways.”
The Grade II listed taxi kiosk would be retained in the new-look portico.
You can read and comment on the plans here.
