The government has approved £77m funding for an infrastructure boost within York, which will go towards the building of a new city centre quarter on old railway land, according to the Construction Index.
Currently, there are plans for 3,705 homes, and 1.2million square feet of commercial development, alongside an enhancement of the setting and access to the National Railway Museum.
A planning application for the first phase has already been submitted to the City of York Council for a new main road entrance to the development site; cycling and pedestrian routes; improved existing and new drainage systems, and landscaping at the new public park.
The investment, which was first announced in the March 2020 budget, has now been confirmed by the Ministry of Housing, Communications and Local Government.
Both funds and responsibility have been handed over to Homes England and Network Rail.
Homes England interim chair Simon Dudley said that: “This investment is a clear signal of the government’s commitment to levelling up across the country by providing much needed homes and employment space in York.
“The confirmation of funding provides that market with some much-needed certainty around a major strategic site at a time when it is planning ahead to recover from the pandemic.”
Network Rail regional director Rob McIntosh said that: “This land has been underused for too long and our railway will be a key part of the success of the development, providing connectivity across the north as well as to the capitals in London and Scotland as we look to support the economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.