The bold scheme to redevelop a key York shopping street and the riverside behind it has undergone a series of major revisions.
In response to feedback on the first set of proposals, property specialist Helmsley Group has made changes to parts of its Coney Street Riverside masterplan.
Now new plans have been submitted to City of York Council.
It follows what Helmsley described as “collaborative discussions with City of York Council and close consultation with key stakeholders across the city including important feedback from the public”.
The original planning application, submitted a year ago, had not made it before the council’s planning committee.
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Helmsley’s masterplan includes the creation of 250,000 sq ft of mixed-use retail, leisure, commercial and residential space, a riverside walkway and the establishment of green spaces and accessible public realm, both on the waterfront itself and also through the creation of new access routes between Coney Street and the River Ouse.
Key changes to the revised plans include:
- Redesigned public realm throughout, including significant increases in the amount of public space on the riverfront
- Increased active retail frontage across the scheme
- A reduction in some of the proposed buildings’ shapes and sizes, as well as moving some of the buildings further away from the river edge to improve the overall quality of the scheme
- Improved accessibility across the development.
Under the revised plans, key buildings would still be demolished, including those housing Boots and Lush.
Key tenants would be “relocated around the development”, a Helmsley Group spokesperson told YorkMix.
Max Reeves, development director at Helmsley Group, said: “Having worked closely with key stakeholders in York over the past few months, we have been heartened by the positive response we have had to our plans for Coney Street Riverside.
“These include the public benefits of bringing underutilised upper floors of retail units back into use, a long-held ambition in York, whilst also creating world class public realm fit for this prime location on York’s riverfront.
“We have consulted extensively across the city with heritage bodies, council planners, York residents, accessibility groups and beyond.”
Max added: “As a long-established York business, we are committed to creating a truly mixed-use, vibrant development that not only sustainably redevelops historic Coney Street into the social heart of York, but creates a positive legacy through first class public spaces of international standing, and architecture which ensures that the history and heritage of the area is not just recognised, but honoured and protected.
“We believe the improvements we have put forward positively build on our long-held ambition to reconnect Coney Street with its riverfront, improving connectivity and accessibility within central York alongside a welcoming, family friendly offer and much-needed accommodation to meet student demand within the city.”
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.