Council to spend £2m to get York Central moving again
Senior councillors are being asked to put a further nearly £2 million towards consultancy works for the York Central project.
The money will be used to keep up momentum on the project – which has been hit by a delay of about three months because of the coronavirus pandemic.
A planning application for the main roads, pavements and bridges on the site was submitted in April but the decision has been delayed.
The Government has also agreed to put £77.1 million of essential funding towards the scheme.
City of York Council’s executive will be asked to put a further £1.96 million towards covering current consultancy support costs and survey works to keep the scheme going.
If the groundwork goes ahead later this year – the major infrastructure work could start early in 2021.
Handing over land
A report prepared for councillors says: “After decades of stalled delivery, the crucial enabling infrastructure works can finally now commence.
“Ultimately York Central will become a thriving addition to the existing city centre with new business space, new homes a re-modelled railway station and a transformed National Railway Museum.”
Councillors will also be asked to hand over land at Chancery Rise to Network Rail to clear the site in preparation for work.
And the council’s temporary chief, Ian Floyd, will be asked to agree the terms of the £77.1 million government grant.
The report says the council has already got potential abortive costs of almost £6.4 million riding on the project planning – but with the government now having agreed to put funding towards York Central the scheme is much more likely to go ahead.
Council leader Keith Aspden said: “The challenges posed by the pandemic have reinforced the importance of delivering York Central to clean and inclusive economic growth in the city.
“I’m looking to forward to the opportunity to discuss how the council can continue to play our part and deliver on the site’s potential.”
You can view the planning application here.