THERE has been talk of redeveloping the York Central site behind the station for years. The potential is clearly huge. This is one of the largest brownfield sites in Europe, with room for hundreds of much-needed new homes, as well as a large new business district.

Progress has been slow, however: partly because of the problems of getting proper access to the 85 acres of land – which is ringed by railway lines – and partly because of the difficulties of clearing away the contamination and the disused railway sidings that are a legacy of the site’s industrial past.

Last year, however, City of York Council came up with a potential game-changer: the offer of £10 million to invest in a new road bridge giving access to the site. A further £27 million has been secured from the West Yorkshire PlusTransport for work on the site, and £1.65 million from the Leeds City Region Local Growth Fund.

Now another major milestone has been passed. The council has signed a “memorandum of understanding” with Network Rail, which owns 90 per cent of the site. It means the two are now partners – and the deal could pave the way for work to begin on site as early as next year.

There is still a long way to go. But council chief executive Kersten England and council leader James Alexander have described the signing of this deal with Network Rail as a “significant turning point” .

Coming on the back of recent progress on the Terry’s and Hungate sites, it does suggest the redevelopment of key brownfield sites in York is at last back on track. That really is great news.