Thousands of government jobs will be coming to York in the next few years, according to the leader of City of York Council.
Discussions about the Cabinet Office jobs have been underway for some time, but Cllr Keith Aspden said the move to York Central was confirmed by government minister Baroness Neville-Rolfe following a visit to the site in January.
She spoke about the places for growth programme, which will see civic service jobs relocated outside of London and the south-east, including to York and Darlington.
Previous estimates as to the number of jobs had hovered around the 2,000 mark, but it has been confirmed to the council that the total coming to York will be 2,600.
Council chiefs have previously said they understood the government wanted to recruit people from the area, rather than just relocating people from London.
It follows several years of negotiation and work with government officials and the various bodies behind York Central to bring more higher paid and skilled jobs to York.
Earlier in December, the Cabinet Office said it expected the new government hub planned for York to open in 2027.
£1.1 billion boost
The York Central development will include 2,500 new homes and up to 1.2 million square feet of commercial space, and is expected to boost York’s economy by £1.16 billion.
York is also in the running to become the home of Great British Railways, the new body tasked with running the country’s rail services, with an announcement expected before Easter.
Cllr Aspden said: “Previous public discussions about the Government hub plans estimated around 2,000 jobs moving, but this latest commitment is a welcome confirmation of a larger number of high quality, skilled jobs for the city. This is a real vote of confidence in the city and the York Central project.
“The plans to move significant government functions to York Central truly demonstrates the quality of the site, which has been recognised as one of the most important brownfield sites in the country.”
The Liberal Democrat added: “York Central has been talked about for decades, but I am pleased that we are now taking major steps to move the project forward for the benefit of residents.
“This progress is only possible thanks to the hard work and shared vision of all the York Central partners.
“Together, we’ve overcome decades of false starts on the site to ensure that we are in a position to deliver the exciting vision, including attracting these new jobs, for our city’s future.”
Further details and confirmation of the plans are expected soon, as the York Central development progresses.
The Cabinet Office has been contacted for comment.
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