A MAJOR redevelopment in York’s City Centre is about to take a big step forward.

City of York Council planners are expected to renew a planning application for a seven-storey apartment block in Hungate, with sales of the building, known as Block D, starting in the New Year.

Overall, Hungate promises more than 1000 flats, plus offices and shops, across eight blocks, covering 4.1ha on the edge of the business and retail core of York.

The scheme, a joint venture partnership between Lendlease and Evans Property Group, has been a long time in coming.

Outline plans for a mixed-use scheme including offices, housing, shops and a new bridge over the River Foss were first granted in 2005.

A development brief was then produced, setting out a master plan and design principles for the project.

In 2009, the first phase of 168 apartments (in blocks A, B and C) was complete, along with the bridge over the Foss.

Phase 2 (Block E) started in 2015, with the 195 apartments completed in 2017 and now occupied.

Phase 3 (Block F) was completed in 2019, with 101 apartments, a community centre and a multi-storey car park.

Enabling works have begun on Block G and Block D also has full planning permission with works, originally due to start in 2020, only recently started.

The developers say they have begun ‘material operations’ on the site of Block D, notably drainage works, including “the digging of a trench and the laying of pipes.”

This is to ensure they met a three-year deadline to start work by October 22 as laid out under the planning approval granted in 2019.

Furthermore, on September 7 the developers paid £77,200 to the city council to cover Section 106 contributions concerning a car club, CCTV and traffic orders.

Block D is an existing 0.3ha brownfield site bounded by Black Horse Lane, Palmer Street, Pound Lane and St Johns Square.

This will be a part 7, part 6-storey development for 196 flats- 99xone-bed units, 90x2-bed and 7x3-bed units.

Plans for the final block, Block H, were submitted in February 2021 for 226 flats plus groundfloor commercial space, but City of York Council has yet to dtermine this application.

A Lendlease spokesperson told the Press: “Hungate is York’s striking new residential quarter right in the centre of the city, with many residents now enjoying apartments designed to the highest specification in an enviable riverside location.

“The next phase of development [Block D] is already underway, and designs are being carefully considered and amended to make sure Hungate boasts some of York’s most sustainable new homes and residents’ amenities. We look forward to sharing more information in due course and unveiling the latest phase of this exciting new neighbourhood.”