Decision details

Purpose of Report: The report provides an update on York Central and seeks agreement to enter into a funding agreement with Homes England and to release the Enterprise Zone budget committed by council in 2018 to facilitate the delivery of the enabling infrastructure and commence works on site. The report will also set out delivery arrangements and a construction timeline.

The Executive will be asked to agree to enter into an Enterprise Zone funding agreement with Homes England and to seek the agreement of the York North Yorkshire LEP board to confirm a funding drawdown as per the Memorandum of Understanding for the Enterprise Zone. To agree arrangements for the funding of assurance of highways works prior to adoption.

Resolved:  (i)      That authority be delegated to the Chief Finance Officer, in consultation with the Director of Governance or her delegated officers, to enter into an Enterprise Zone (EZ) funding agreement with Homes England to reimburse infrastructure costs to enable the delivery of York Central.

                   (ii)      That the previously approved £35m capital budget funded from future EZ receipts be allocated as a contribution to the enabling infrastructure, to be used after all other grant funding has been exhausted.

                   (iii)     That up to £2.7m of previously approved CYC borrowing be allocated to fund the Technical Assurance work to enable the highways infrastructure to be adopted.

                   (iv)    That up to £500k of previously approved CYC borrowing be allocated to deliver the Jubilee Terrace to Scarborough Bridge Riverside Path improvement scheme.

                   (v)     That up to £250k of EZ revenue receipts be allocated to fund inward investment activity in the council’s economic development team, specifically to promote York Central and to attract occupiers.

                   (vi)    That authority be delegated to the Director of Transport, Environment & Planning to agree technical assurance arrangements for the adoption of the highways infrastructure for York Central as set out in the report.

                   (vii)    That authority be delegated to the Director of Transport, Environment & Planning (in consultation with the Director of Governance or her delegated officers) to enter into S278/38 Agreements with York Central landowners.

                   (viii)   That authority be delegated to the Director of Transport, Environment & Planning (in consultation with the Director of Governance or her delegated officers) to enter into the Bridge Agreements with Network Rail and Homes England.

                   (ix)    That authority be delegated to the Director of Transport, Environment & Planning, in consultation with the Executive Member for Transport, to certify the discharge of conditions to permit the Stopping Up of Leeman Road.

                   (x)     That approval be given to dispose of the former Canteen Building on Chancery Rise to Network Rail in order to facilitate the removal of their operational uses from the York Central site, and delegate to the Director of Housing Economy and Place to agree the final value, following an independent valuation exercise.

Reason:     To ensure the delivery of York Central and to provide funding for enabling infrastructure including a new access route to York Central, and to support the commercial development of the scheme to generate EZ income to fund that infrastructure.