Plans are in for a brand new public square in York.
The Square would be built as part of the huge York Central development. It is located next to the National Railway Museum.
Homes England and Network Rail Limited on behalf of the York Central Partnership are behind the application.
It was due to be submitted in spring, but was held back to gather more feedback from residents, partners and wider stakeholders within York.
Natalie Webster, senior project manager on behalf of Homes England and Network Rail, said: “Key feedback which has informed the design has been around safety for pedestrians and cyclists, accessibility, lighting and planting.
“Greenery and community public space were important to many people too, as well as linking with wider phases of the development.
“We’ve listened to what people wanted and worked closely with the wider design and planning team to incorporate as much of this feedback as possible into the latest planning application.
“There have also been some great ideas that are not suitable for this particular area of the scheme but could work well elsewhere on the site and we will consider these where appropriate.”
Changes to the roads
Formally referred to as RMA3 (The Square), the application details the proposed layout, scale, appearance and access for creating a new public space with associated infrastructure and landscaping.
It also includes suggested alterations to the existing road network, in line with the design guide and outline planning considerations.
York Central is one of the largest city centre brownfield regeneration sites in England, with £135m public sector funding already secured to build key upfront infrastructure.
Infrastructure work began in Summer 2022 to build over two kilometres of new roads plus public footpaths and cycle ways, as well as new utilities and the building of two new bridges over the East Coast mainline.
It will also provide up to 2,500 homes, at least 20% of which will be affordable, create over 1 million sq. ft. of commercial space for offices, retail and leisure and provide a significant boost for the local economy with potential to create up to 6,000 jobs.
The plans for The Square have been validated by City of York Council will now be considered by its planning team, with a decision expected by the end of 2023.
You can read and comment on the plans here.
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