York's open heart

SO you thought Hungate was big? Think again. The multi-million pound complex of shops, offices and flats beside the River Foss is dwarfed by York Central. The so-called 'teardrop' site behind York Station is being billed as one of the largest brownfield sites available anywhere in Europe, and it puts Hungate in the shade.

Stand at the north end of the Wilton Rise footbridge in Holgate, look over towards the station, and you begin to get some idea of the sheer scale of the site.

There is a huge expanse of sweeping railway track that links up to form a triangle enclosing acres of scrub and grass. It stretches all the way to the railway station and Queen Street in the distance. It's an area almost as big as Hungate itself: and yet this is just one tiny corner of the 'teardrop'.

Look at a map of the central area of York and it becomes immediately clear what is being talked about. York Central is almost another York: a vast acreage of scarcely used, rusting railway sidings and forgotten industrial buildings that is almost as big as the entire centre of York within the city walls.

In fact, says Sue Smales, a development officer with City of York Council and one of two project officers for York Central, the 85 acre site is about two thirds the size of York city centre.

The chance to redevelop this vast slice of forgotten city centre heartland is, in city council leader Dave Merrett's words, a "once in a century or couple of centuries' opportunity".

Which makes it all the more important we should get it right.

The land is mainly owned by Railtrack and the development, which could take anything from ten to 15 years to complete, will be commercially driven.

But it will be up to the people of York, through the city council, to give a blueprint for the way it should look.

The reason the site hasn't been developed before is partly because of access difficulties. Only a single road - Leeman Road - passes through the area and the whole site is bounded by railway lines: the East Coast Main Line to the north, the freight line to the south.

The city council is preparing a 'planning brief' for the 85 acre site. A draft brief has formed the centrepiece of a mobile 'exhibition' that has been touring community centres and other public buildings throughout York since the beginning of December.

It is too early for details yet, but the brief envisages the development falling into three sections:

A 'central business district' of mainly offices with some flats, pubs and bars at the eastern end around the railway station;

A middle section centring on an expanded National Railway Museum and conference and exhibition facilities;

And a mainly residential western end with space for up to 3,000 homes - many of them affordable - and leisure and community facilities, local schools and shops.

Getting access and transport right will be vital. The likelihood is that Leeman Road would be 'diverted' - paving the way for the NRM to expand - and replaced with an entirely new road system to serve the site. But there would also, says Sue Smales, be an exciting opportunity to build in a rapid light transit or mass transit system that could link up to other areas of the city.

That is all a long way off. What the city council wants now is your ideas. The council's 'exhibition' - little more than a few maps and plans at this stage, but that is because the public are being consulted early - will continue to tour the city centre until next Thursday, and you have until January 20 to make comments.

Alternatively, you could attend the York Open Planning Forum's discussion on the draft planning brief at Guildhall this evening, to be chaired by the Forum's Alison Sinclair. There will be the chance to see the council's exhibition at 7pm, and then to quiz senior planning officials, Sue Smales included, from 7.30pm.

Dave Merrett says it is impossible to underestimate the importance of people making their views known.

"It is very important that people get involved," he says. "The development of this site will be a key part of the character of the city for the next century or two centuries. So it is absolutely critical that we get it right."

To find out more or ask for a copy of the planning brief, call Sue Smales or Sue Houghton on 01904 654763 or 629317.

Mick Phythian, chair of York Natural Environment Trust

A primary function of this site should be to drastically reduce, even eliminate, any requirement for greenfield development. Currently, the council avoids acknowledging in its green belt proposals the major development contribution expected from this site.

There are pockets of naturalistic vegetation within the site. The draft brief rightly says that landscape and ecology surveys will be required. These should be to hand before any other specific aspects of the brief are worked on.

There should be a commitment to extending existing naturalistic landscape through and into the scheme. Rather than grandiose but sterile piazzas, let us have the intimacy of well vegetated green ways where both people and wildlife can feel comfortable.

Darrell Buttery, chairman of York Civic Trust

It is clear that a major issue is going to be access, and a radical overhaul of some sections of the ring road would be required. There is a good opportunity on the site to provide a bus station. We would welcome the enhancement of the railway station, and also the expansion of the NRM.

The height of some of the buildings, the density of the housing, and the timescale of the site's development are other issues which would concern the trust.

Len Cruddas, chairman of York Chamber of Commerce

Transport is going to be very important. We've got to ensure that there is road, rail and public transport access. I would like to see some sort of ultra-light rail system or monorail, but that is not going to happen. Also, because of the knock-on effect, we will need to build extra capacity on the northern ring road to accommodate the extra traffic it will create.

What is also important is to have a good mix of development - restaurants, leisure and tourism, office space and the right kind of industry, IT firms for example.

Updated: 11:16 Thursday, January 09, 2003