IT'S signed and sealed.

York will soon be home to the new £9 million EcoDepot as the contract to bring Europe's largest sustainable building to the city was formalised. Coun Christian Vassie, a member of City of York Council's sustainability scrutiny board, put pen to paper on the deal in a ceremony.

The Evening Press reported how the building, which recycles its own rainwater and is partly made of straw, will be the new home for the authority's commercial services department.

Coun Vassie said: "This Liberal Democrat administration is determined to transform York into a sustainable city. The replacement of the Foss Islands depot represents our first opportunity to do just that. With the EcoDepot we are leading by example and I am very excited that we have pursued our first ideas through to a workable design.

"The EcoDepot represents a departure from the past, when buildings were designed the same way over and over again. This is an exciting project for York, the UK and Europe, and will produce a model building."

Updated: 11:11 Thursday, September 29, 2005