The City of York and Network Rail have announced their partnership to redevelop 36 hectare brownfield site in the city.

Starting in 2015, the plan for the site is to construct around 480 new homes as well as 80,000 sq m of offices.



The York Central Site (also known as The Teardrop) has a £10m commitment from York City Council to kick-start development and £27m is coming from the West Yorkshire Transport Fund to help develop the infrastructure requirements around the site and the Station Gateway whilst £1.65m from the Leeds City Region Local Growth Fund.



Phil Verster, managing director for Network Rail’s London North Eastern and East Midland route, said: "We have been working hard with City of York Council to produce a plan which will allow phased and achievable development, and which uses this large piece of land to maximum benefit for York residents and businesses alike."



Council chief executive Kersten England said: “This agreement is a major milestone in a relationship that we have been developing with Network Rail over the past three and a half years. It signals a significant turning point in both the site’s history, as well as the city’s. It builds on the momentum for brownfield site development seen in Hungate and on the Terry’s site both already in development.



“The site will offer the city an opportunity to address the acute, growing shortage of high-quality office space, as well as addressing the severe challenges the city faces in providing homes for York residents.”



Members of the public will have an opportunity to see the Teardrop proposals during a consultation on the initial masterplan for the site over the coming months. It’s anticipated that construction work will begin on the site in early 2016.