Six-storey civil service building will kickstart major brownfield regeneration project in city

GPA York HubYork Central

Civil servants will begin moving into the new building from 2027

Proposals for a 195,000 sq ft government building in York have been given the green light by the city’s planning committee.

 The AtkinsRéalis scheme is part of the wider York Central development which will see a swathe of land in the middle of the city, close to the railway station and the National Railway Museum, turned into new offices and homes.

The new office building, the first in the York Central scheme, is being built for the Government Property Agency and will include 135,000 sq ft of flexible office space as well as ground floor retail and ancillary areas for 2,600 civil servants who will move in during 2027 and 2028.

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 AtkinsRéalis

The new office building, the first in the York Central scheme, is being built for the Government Property Agency and will include 135,000 sq ft of flexible office space

Solar panels, air source heat pumps, and a green roof will all feature in the development, along with 230 cycle spaces and a pedestrian zone.

York Central is being developed by a partnership of Homes England, Network Rail, the City of York Council and the National Railway Museum.

It has secured £135m in government funding and will include one million sq ft of office, retail and hospitality space and up to 2,500 new homes.

McLaren Property and Arlington Real Estate are developing the scheme while others working on the job include architect and engineer AtkinsRéalis while Aecom is carrying out project management and cost consultant work.