New Government hub for York given planning green light

Plans for a state-of-the art government office development in York have been given the go-ahead.

The application to construct a six-storey, 195,000 sq ft government hub, put forward by partners the Government Property Agency (GPA), Homes England and Network Rail, was approved by the City of York Council Planning Committee.

Earmarked for completion in 2027/2028, the hub will be home to up to 2,600 civil servants. Building features include solar panels, air source heat pumps and a green roof, as well as 230 cycle spaces and a planted pedestrian area.

The development includes 135,000 sq ft of flexible office space, with ground floor retail and ancillary space.

The hub is the first part of York Central – a major initiative to redevelop a substantial area of land close to York city centre and boost the regional economy.

Mark Bourgeois, the GPA’s CEO, said: “We are delighted to achieve planning permission to develop this new facility, which will deliver a modern, inspirational and energy-efficient office development for up to 2,600 civil servants.

“The new hub will help to accelerate the York Central development, stimulate economic growth and investment in the North of England as well as supporting the transformation of the Civil Service.

“It's another milestone for us at the Government Property Agency to deliver smart, modern, sustainable and digitally connected workplaces that focus on improving productivity and wellbeing.”

York Central is one of the largest brownfield sites in the UK, and is located next to the city’s railway station. The scheme is being brought forward by a collaborative partnership between Homes England, Network Rail, the City of York Council and the National Railway Museum. It will be developed by private sector partners McLaren Property and Arlington Real Estate.

There has been extensive public consultation prior to the submission of the York Central government hub application.

Robin Dobson, Group Property Director at Network Rail, added: “Creating high quality workspace is fundamental to the future success of York Central. Having attracted the GPA, it is great to have reached this important planning milestone ahead of seeing a new workforce bring this regeneration scheme to life.”