Big changes are coming to Coney Street after the final part of a masterplan to remodel the York street was granted permission by the council.
It means city developers the Helmsley Group has now gained planning permission for the final part of its Coney Street Riverside masterplan.
This will bring more homes to the city centre and realise a 50-year ambition to reconnect York to its riverfront.
At last night’s planning meeting, councillors approved the development of 3-7 Coney Street and the creation of a new snickelway which will play a key role in reconnecting Coney Street to the River Ouse.
To create the snickelway part of number 5 will be demolished – that’s the shop which was home to Lush before it moved into bigger premises nearby.
That will also allow new restaurants and cafés with external seating to open here.
Extensions to the roofs would create an additional storey above the shops, where apartments would be created for city centre living.
The decision follows recent approval from City of York Council for the development of 19-33 Coney Street and 39 Coney Street to 2 Spurriergate. Members voted through both the masterplan planning application and a separate listed building application through with overwhelming majorities.
Work will start next year.
Bringing ‘vision to life’
Helmsley Group says the existing shopfronts of the listed buildings at 3-7 will be “sensitivity regenerated to reflect their historic character”. The new ground floor retail space will be aimed at independent businesses.
Max Reeves, development director at the Helmsley Group, said: “This approval forms the final piece of our much anticipated Coney Street Riverside masterplan and we can’t wait to begin bringing our vision to life.
“As well as creating a welcoming and accessible offer for both locals and visitors to enjoy, bringing underused upper floors back into use is also a key aspiration across the Coney Street Riverside regeneration and our plans will introduce much-needed housing within the city centre.
“This is truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to honour an area that has played such an important role in York’s history and sensitively take the necessary strides required to secure its long-term future.”
Led by York-based developer the Helmsley Group, the Coney Street Riverside masterplan seeks to create 250,000 sq ft of mixed-use retail, leisure, commercial, residential and student space, alongside extensive public realm.
The project team for the scheme includes Helmsley Group, brown + company, O’Neill Associates, Corstorphine and Wright, Montagu Evans, Aspect4, Gillespies, Troup Bywaters & Anders, Billinghurst George & Partners, Jane Simpson Access, Knight Frank, DS Emotion and Aberfield Communications.
You can find out more about the Coney Street Riverside on this website.