The council’s proposal for a new multi-storey car park on St.George’s Field – to replace Castle Car Park – gained planning approval last week.
The requirement for replacement parking has always been part of the brief for the work to the area. That requirement shaped the original My Castle Gateway public engagement back in 2017, focussing discussion on how and where this provision should be located. We summarised this process of engagement and discussion in May 2019 in a blog here, which spelled out this background.
There was extensive public discussion around the design of the multi-storey car park which led to proposals which were summarised in July 2019 here, and subsequently, with some documented changes, submitted for planning approval in September 2019. You can view this application via the Planning Portal quoting reference number 19/02063/FUL.
On 19 November 2020, Planning Committee asked for more information regarding the multi-storey car park and deferred the decision. This information was provided, and the planning application was approved on 7 January 2021.
The webcasts of the Planning Committee meetings (19/11/20 and 07/01/21) can be viewed via: https://www.york.gov.uk/webcasts
The council has published a press release which notes the planning approval’s role in enabling the broader improvements to the area, and can be read here. For further information on the forward process, you can read the report to Executive here – the summary at the start sets out the main steps.
Gaining planning approval for the car park is an important step in allowing different options to be considered without the risk of planning delays. The next key decision point will be in Autumn 2021, when the decision to commence procurement of a contractor will be considered.