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Read Full ArticleHelmsley Group’s plans to regenerate a key part of York city centre and revitalise a neglected section of the River Ouse have been enthusiastically recommended for approval by City of York Council.
In a major step forward for the Coney Street Riverside development, City of York Council (CoYC) has said that subject to the Secretary of State not calling in parts of the application relating to listed buildings sited within the scheme, it should approve the masterplan.
Referring to the listed building elements of the application, the report said that the public benefits brought by Coney Street Riverside would ensure heritage buildings would be put ‘to a use consistent with their conservation’, while positive improvements would be made to their exteriors, historic floors plans would be preserved and upper floors brought back into meaningful use.
Economic, social and environmental
In its report ahead of a planning committee meeting to consider the plans, CoYC said ‘there are multiple public benefits to the scheme which cumulatively are substantial; they are economic, social and environmental’.
It added that after applying national and local planning policy alongside other criteria to Helmsley’s plans, the benefits of the scheme ‘clearly outweigh’ any potential harm and justified the approval of the scheme.
Masterplan
The Coney Street Masterplan, led by the York based property specialist Helmsley Group, will see the creation of 250,000sq.ft of mixed-use retail, leisure, commercial and residential space.
A riverside walkway will be established alongside nationally significant green and accessible public realm, both on the waterfront itself and also through the creation and rejuvenation of historic lanes and passageways between Coney Street and the River Ouse.
Situated in York’s Central Conservation Area, the site consists of 19-33 Coney Street and 39 Coney Street to 2 Spurriergate and includes four listed buildings and two buildings of merit. It is in close proximity to a number of other listed buildings and buildings of importance.
Helmsley, which first submitted its plans for Coney Street Riverside in 2022, has worked collaboratively with key city stakeholders. It has the backing of prominent groups including York Civic Trust and York and North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce.
Sarah Czarnecki, president of York & North Yorkshire Chamber of Commerce, says: “The Chamber is highly supportive of the plans for Coney Street Riverside put forward by Helmsley Group and it is our firm view that they should be given the green light.”
Max Reeves, development director at Helmsley Group, says: “It has been a long journey to get to this point but we are now optimistic that we will be given the green light to move forward with this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”
The project team for the scheme includes Helmsley Group, brown + company, O’Neill Associates, Corstorphine and Wright, Montagu Evans, Aspect4, Gillespies, Troup Bywaters & Anders, Billinghurst George & Partners, Jane Simpson Access, Knight Frank, DS Emotion and Aberfield Communications.
Picture: Coney Street Riverside, York.
www.coneystreetriverside.co.uk
Article written by Cathryn Ellis
30th October 2024