A decision on a planned government hub in York is expected next week.
City of York’s planning committee will consider the application for the York Central hub, which was submitted by Homes England, Network Rail Infrastructure and the Government Property Agency at a meeting on 22 July.
The hub, which is expected to host some 2,600 civil servants, is slated to open in 2027. It will also host some Cabinet Office officials, including United Kingdom Security Vetting staff who currently work at Imphal Barracks in the city.
Reports of a plan to create a base for more civil servants in York first emerged in 2020, when it was also reported that the then-government was considering relocating the House of Lords to the northern city.
The project, known as 1 Cinder Street, is part of a wider plan to develop York Central, one of the largest city-centre brownfield regeneration sites in England. The 45-acre site is expected to have up to 2,500 homes and create up to one million sq ft of commercial space for offices, retail and leisure. Plans for the development also include improvements to York Railway Station and an expanded and enhanced National Railway Museum.
Planning documents published last year say the offices will be “a modern workplace for circa 2,600 full-time employees, brought forward as part of the ‘Government Hubs Programme’”.
If the application is approved, the six-storey building will include 175,000 sq ft of flexible office space, as well as a ground-floor retail unit and coffee shop and an outdoor terrace space at the top of the building.
“It presents an exciting opportunity for the government to invest in infrastructure, innovation and people through large-scale infrastructure and capital investments in cities other than London,” the documents say.
“Sustainability is at the heart of the design, promoting modern and flexible ways of working which make the building adaptable for future generations,” it adds.
The building is designed to “provide a genuine sense of ‘Yorkness’, as this would root the building into its unique context”.
“The building should feel distinctive and offer a unique character which positively contributes to York Central, resonates with local people, and helps establish the former railway yards as a destination,” the document adds.
Avison Young is the planner for the hub, with Atkins advising on design, heritage and transport.