Government hub to be built on huge city site

Impression of how the new hub will look

Construction of a government office complex at one of the UK's largest brownfield sites is to start next year.

The plans, which would accomodate about 2,600 civil servants, will be located at York Central - a 45-acre site close to the city's railway station.

Approval of the government hub marks another step in the development of the site, which is one of the UK’s largest city centre regeneration schemes.

A planning meeting was told no parking spaces would be provided for those working at the offices to encourage staff to use public transport.

The office complex is the third detailed application to be approved for York Central.

A new exhibition space for the National Railway Museum and infrastructure for the wider site are already under construction after being approved.

Plans for a public square are yet to go before councillors, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

The new hub is set to have 250 cycle spaces with 16 disabled parking spaces for staff and visitors.

An artist's impression of the York Central site from above shows the scale of the development

Councillors heard the development’s location close to York station and bus stops linking it to the city’s park and rides meant travelling by public transport was feasible.

Mark Bourgeois, from the Government Property Agency, one of the bodies behind the application, said: “The new hub will stimulate economic growth and investment in the North of England as well as supporting the transformation of the civil service.”

Government hubs planned in York and elsewhere come as part of effects to bring investment outside of London.

The programme was launched as part of the previous Conservative government’s Levelling Up agenda.

A total of 17 have opened so far including in Belfast, Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Darlington and Leeds.

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