Homes England has entered into a contract with John Sisk and Son Ltd to deliver over £100m of vital infrastructure.
Today, Homes England announced that over £100 million in vital infrastructure will be provided by John Sisk and Son Ltd at York Central.
With work set to start soon, this represents yet another important step toward reclaiming the city centre brownfield site, which has been stuck for more than 40 years.
One of the largest regeneration sites in the UK is York Central. The 45 hectare site, which is located in the centre of the city and is next to York Station, presents a special chance to develop underutilised brownfield land into a vibrant and distinctive new mixed-use neighbourhood, complete with homes, places of culture, recreation, commerce, and outdoor amenities.
John Sisk and Son will set up the crucial infrastructure required to make this change possible over the course of the following three years.
As part of this, a new footbridge for pedestrians and cyclists will be built over the East Coast Main Line Railway, and the current Water End Bridge will also receive a new footbridge for pedestrians and cyclists.
The new access connects Water End via the site to Leeman Road for a distance of 2 km (with separate bike and pedestrian routes), as well as a rail spur to the National Railway Museum.
The entire site’s utilities work and earthworks will also be done by John Sisk and Son.
With the completion of the further development at York Central, which will eventually offer up to 2,500 homes, 20 percent of which will be affordable, and more than 1 million square feet of commercial space for offices, retail, and leisure, the local economy will experience a considerable boost.
Additionally, it will have large, high-quality public realm and open spaces, including an urban park, as well as better connection and access.
Homes England’s chair, Peter Freeman, stated:
For York Central, this is a critical turning point. We are aware of the positive effects urban regeneration programmes like this may have on a city and the advantages it will bring to York.
We’ve teamed up with Network Rail to assist open this long-stalled site because of this.
This will be made possible with the delivery of vital infrastructure, moving the goals we and our partners have for this underutilised area one step closer to realisation. It’s fantastic to see the plans beginning to materialise.
John Sisk and Son’s Chief Executive Officer, Paul Brown, said:
Sisk is excited to be a part of this intriguing project and to construct this substantial infrastructure in accordance with the York Central concept.
We are dedicated to completing this project for the good of the entire neighbourhood, and we look forward to collaborating with all the important parties.
Homes England and Network Rail are acting as master developers on the project as the majority landowners, partnering with the City of York Council and the National Railway Museum.
Network Rail’s Group Property Director, Robin Dobson, stated:
This is a significant turning point in the multi-million pound York Central construction.
We will be closer to completing an ambitious new City regeneration and community project that includes both road and rail once the transition is under way.
We’re pleased to be working with Homes England to implement this redevelopment project, and we look forward to seeing how things develop over the coming few years.
When finished, York Central will revitalise the city’s entrance and provide doors for regional economic development.
It is being provided by us through a public-private partnership, a strategy we are also using in other towns and cities around the nation.
The government’s Housing Infrastructure Grant (worth £77.1 million), the City of York Council’s Enterprise Zone Fund (worth £35 million), and the West Yorkshire Combined Authority (worth £23.5 million) have all provided financing for the infrastructure projects.
City of York Council Leader Cllr. Keith Aspden said:
Building on the site preparation work completed by City of York Council and the partnership, this is another significant step forward for York Central, one of the most significant and exciting redevelopment sites in the country.
It’s wonderful to hear that the project, which has been an aspiration for decades, is now becoming a reality and that building work is progressing.
We want to make sure that this forward momentum keeps releasing the site’s vast potential and bringing York the much-needed housing, communal space, and economic development.
We are collaborating closely with members of the York Central Partnership to realise our shared goal of regenerating the city while promoting inclusive and environmentally friendly growth.
While this project progresses and we deliver the exciting plans for the York Central site, we’ll keep locals, companies, and communities updated.
The agreement with Sisk comes in the wake of the announcement that Homes England, Network Rail, and JLL have begun the formal procurement process to find a strategic development partner to advance York Central.