Bus station hope for teardrop site

11:00am Thursday 24th July 2008

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YORK should finally get a long-awaited bus station after developers across Europe were invited today to invest more than a billion pounds in the city’s biggest ever development.

A new transport interchange for visitors and residents is being proposed as part of a revised scheme for the York Central “teardrop” site behind the railway station.

There are also plans to create a new station car park to meet increasing demand for spaces.

Land owners Network Rail, Yorkshire Forward and the National Museum of Science & Industry, the owner of the National Railway Museum, said they were seeking a high class development partner for the £1 billion-plus project. They revealed they were choosing the developer by advertising in a European Union online “Official Journal,” asking them to lodge initial expressions of interest.

The aim was to ensure that all bidders from throughout Europe had a level playing field.

The scheme dwarfs other major city centre schemes, such as the £150 million Hungate development, the second phase of which is being delayed partly because of the economic downturn.

The York Central team insists that developers will still be interested in their project, which would provide a long-term regional development opportunity to help secure the region’s long-term prosperity.

“York is a thriving city, being one of the best connected in the country. We expect that major developers will see beyond short-term market conditions and be prepared to make a long-term investment,” said a spokeswoman. She said an initial masterplanning exercise which had been undertaken suggested the development could include:

* 55,000 square metres of retail units.

* 30,000 square metres of ancillary retail and leisure provision located at ground floor level (restaurants, bars, tourist attraction etc).

* Improvements to the station infrastructure.

* Up to 100,000 square metres of commercial office accommodation.

* 3,000 residential units.

* Improvements to the railway museum.

She said the site was not seen as the best location for a new community stadium.

Dave Custance, head of strategic development and property at Yorkshire Forward said the development would further enhance the City’s reputation as a major retail, business and tourist destination.

“The regeneration of this brownfield city centre site will secure a major private sector investment into the city and the region – benefiting people and businesses in and around York,” he said.

Andrew Scott, director of the National Railway Museum, said: “We see this as an important opportunity to enhance the museum’s facilities and get better links to the city’s proposed cultural quarter. The redevelopment will also mean that visitors to the museum get better first impressions of York as they arrive, and will encourage more visitors to York in general, which in turn means more visitors to the museum.”

Mick Martin, Network Rail’s director of commercial property, said: “York Central is a great example of how Network Rail can encourage sustainable development and get investment into the railways, saving money for tax and fare payers. “York is one of the major stations in Britain, with direct connections to Edinburgh, Bristol, Manchester, London and many other major cities, and a new transport interchange will improve journeys for residents and visitors to York alike.”