YORK Central could be better than the King's Cross redevelopment - according to the judges of a prestigious architecture award.

The project won the best masterplan category at the Architects' Journal Architecture Awards 2019.

Judges said the project has the bone structure to become better than King’s Cross - and the masterplan for both projects was designed by the same architecture team.

The York Central scheme was designed by Allies and Morrison - who described the project as the "most significant urban expansion in the ancient city of York’s modern history and currently one of the largest development projects in the UK".

The award judges told Architects' Journal: "The proposal builds on Allies and Morrison’s King’s Cross Central masterplan, which had to deal with similar challenges, and then improves it.

"The proposed linear park will be a gamechanger for York. It responds to all the demands and needs of all the stakeholders and gives back to the wider area.

"It will be transformational for the city."

York Central Partnership and City of York Council welcomed the news, with assistant director of regeneration Tracey Carter saying: “This is fantastic news for Allies and Morrison and all the partners involved in developing the masterplan for York Central. It is most pleasing to see the judges recognise our efforts to place the needs and aspirations of the city’s stakeholders at its heart."

York Central was up against a shortlist of projects from across the county.

The firm enlisted by the council to design 600 new homes for the city in the next five years - Mikhail Riches - won the architect of the year prize.

Ms Carter congratulated them on behalf of the council, saying: “We’re also delighted that our partner in the housing delivery programme, Mikhail Riches, won the Architect of the Year award.”