We took the questions from the first week of My York Central to the York Central Partnership. Their responses are published below each set of questions. Some answers are clear and address the concerns the questioners were raising. Other responses inevitably invite further questions, discussion and exporation. We’ll be using these cases – where there is no simple or settled ‘answer’ – to help us design events to deepen the conversation during The Festival of York Central. And invite anyone interested to come forward with ideas for events.
So to each of the York Central Partnership responses below we ask: What further questions or issues does this raise for you?
Questions from week commencing 19th February 2018.
Affordable Housing: How many houses will be affordable…and what is affordable!?
Response from York Central Partnership: YCP is committed to ensuring that York Central delivers housing for all affordabilities, providing a proportion of its housing as affordable housing in line with the Council’s policy requirement of 20%. CYC defined the types of affordable housing that could be provided.
Follow up: Why only 20% affordable housing when York is one of the least affordable places to live in the north of England? Can’t we be more ambitious?
Response from York Central Partnership:One of the core objectives of the York Central development is to ensure the scheme is viable and deliverable as well as helping to deliver the homes necessary for the people of York. Nevertheless, the Partnership has committed to meeting the Council’s Policy target of 20% affordable in line with the Council’s Local Plan target of 20% affordable housing provision on Brownfield land.
Density: How high will the buildings be?
Response from York Central Partnership: Design work is currently ongoing but we expect buildings to be between 2 and 6 storeys in height.
Cars: what are the target figures for car movement through the site?
Response from York Central Partnership: We are in the process of determining traffic movements but we are looking to minimise the use of cars and car movements through the site through our prioritisation of pedestrian and cyclist movements, our approach to parking and traffic calming measures.
Traffic Impact: How is that being modelled?
Response from York Central Partnership:A Transport Assessment is being undertaken and the approach to modelling is currently being agreed with CYC.
Air Quality: How are we planning to ensure York Central reduces pollution?
Response from York Central Partnership: This is part of the traffic modelling work.
Follow up: When will the transport assessment – with the assessment of air pollution levels – be made public?
Response from York Central Partnership: All documentation associated with the submission of the planning application, which includes the Transport Assessment, will be made public once the application is submitted in August 2018. It is unlikely this information will be available in advance of this owing the timescales for undertaking the environmental impact assessment work.
Leeman Rd: Will there still be through access?
Response from York Central Partnership: Yes there will continue to be access from the Salisbury Terrace area via the new access road subject to further work relating to the potential to bus-gate Marble Arch. There will continue to be access for pedestrians through the museum during opening hours. Further information will be available in the forthcoming exhibition.
Cycling: Is proper infrastructure going to be put in?
Response from York Central Partnership: Yes, there is an intention to provide segregated cycle lanes along the new access road as part of a wider package of measures. Further information will be available in the forthcoming exhibition.
Who owns the land? How public is it?
Response from York Central Partnership: The land is owned by all four partners, with the majority of land owned by Network Rail and Homes England.
Will the YCP ‘design work’ be shared during the Festival?
There will be some information relating to the heights of buildings, including examples of the heights of the buildings when compared with other landmarks in York available at the festival. This will be shown through images on the boards and the model.