MORE than 5,000 jobs have been created and a further 22,000 safeguarded thanks to investment through an overall £1billion-plus Growth Deal with Government, say the Leeds City Region Enterprise Partnership (LEP) and West Yorkshire Combined Authority.

They said that in York, funding had been allocated through the West Yorkshire-plus Transport Fund to revamp York Station, improving journey times for buses, taxis, pedestrians and cyclists.

Funding was also helping to create a new business district, York Central, to the east of the station, said a spokesman.

"Funding has also been allocated towards improvement of the York Outer Ring Road, which will ease congestion on this key commuter route and improve air quality," he said.

He added that the combined authority was asked to approve ten additional schemes worth £130 million elsewhere in the region at its annual meeting, which was held yesterday.