Revised river side masterplan unveiled for city

Property specialist Helmsley Group has revised parts of its Coney Street Riverside masterplan in York, including a significant increase in the amount of public realm, improved accessibility and enhanced building designs.

The latest plans have been submitted following discussions with City of York Council and consultation with stakeholders across the city including feedback from the public.

The masterplan includes creation of 250,000 sq ft of mixed-use retail, leisure, commercial and residential space, a riverside walkway and establishment of green and accessible public realm, both on the waterfront itself and through creation of new access routes between Coney Street and the River Ouse.

Key changes proposed include:

• Redesigned public realm throughout the scheme, including increases in the amount of public space on the riverfront.
• Increased active retail frontage across the scheme.
• A reduction in some of the proposed buildings’ shapes and sizes, as well as moving some of the buildings further away from the river edge to improve the overall quality of the scheme.
• Improved accessibility across the development.

The revised plans follow an original planning application setting out Helmsley’s vision for Coney Street Riverside, with a decision yet to be reached by City of York Council.

Max Reeves, development director at Helmsley Group, said: “Having worked closely with key stakeholders in York over the past few months, we have been heartened by the positive response we have had to our plans for Coney Street Riverside.

“These include the public benefits of bringing underutilised upper floors of retail units back into use, a long-held ambition in York, whilst also creating world class public realm fit for this prime location on York’s riverfront.

“We have consulted extensively across the city with heritage bodies, council planners, York residents, accessibility groups and beyond.

“We’d encourage everyone to look at our proposals, which are publicly available on the City of York Council planning portal and our own dedicated Coney Street Riverside website, to discover more about the positive transformation we are looking to provide.

“We believe the improvements we have put forward positively build on our long-held ambition to reconnect Coney Street with its riverfront, improving connectivity and accessibility within central York alongside a welcoming, family friendly offer and much-needed accommodation to meet student demand within the city.”

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.