Go-ahead recommended for Coney Street Riverside

Helmsley Group’s proposals for a 250,000 sq ft mixed-use development on York’s waterfront could be given the green light next week.

The locally-based property group first submitted its plans in 2022, looking to put a stretch of the York riverfront back in touch with a city centre retail & leisure area it has been cut off from.

In its plans, a riverside walkway will be established alongside “nationally significant green and accessible public realm”, both on the waterfront itself and also through the creation and rejuvenation of historic lanes and passageways.

Situated in York’s central conservation area, the site consists of 19-33 Coney Street and 39 Coney Street to 2 Spurriergate and includes four listed buildings and two buildings of merit, and is in close proximity to a number of other heritage holdings.

City of York Council’s planning committee will consider the application at its meeting on Thursday 24 October.

The verdict from CoYC planning officers is that subject to the Secretary of State not calling in parts of the application relating to listed buildings, the local authority should approve the masterplan.

Helmsley’s project team includes brown + company, O’Neill Associates, Corstorphine & Wright, Montagu Evans, Aspect4, Gillespies, Troup Bywaters & Anders, Billinghurst George & Partners, Jane Simpson Access, Knight Frank, DS Emotion and Aberfield Communications.

As outlined for committee, the application covers the conversion of retained buildings and new-build elements of three to six storeys, with new public realm including the new Waterloo Place.

The scheme breaks down roughly as :

• 42,000 sq ft of commercial/business floorspace across 12 units
• 358-bedspace student accommodation, also including communal facilities
• Access to the riverside from Coney Street/Spurriergate

As outlined by officers, the site extends from Coney Street to the River Ouse and is typically made up of narrow, deep plots with mostly retail uses at ground floor. Buildings are in a variety of styles and have been altered and extended piecemeal, with much of the river-facing elevations being unattractive and upper floors vacant or under-used.

Helmsley, which made a tranche of amendments last autumn to its masterplan in autumn last year, intends to demolish a small number of later additions and amend the majority of the buildings.

19 Coney Street (Zone 2)

Retention and refurbishment of the 13,200 sq ft of retail floorspace at ground floor, and the conversion of the upper floors into 85 student bedrooms, with rooftop garden.

21 to 33 Coney Street (Zone 3)

Includes the demolition of the unlisted 29-31 Coney Street and modern rear extensions at numbers 21, 23, 25 and 33, the main parts of which are listed. Also the retention and refurbishment of existing retail floorspace at ground floor fronting Coney Street, with conversion of upper floors for student accommodation at 21, 23, 25 and 33. A courtyard is provided at the rear of the retained buildings, and a new block of three to five storeys will be introduced fronting the riverside, with leisure uses at ground floor and PBSA above.

39-43 Coney Street (Zone 4)

Demolition of 43 Coney Street – the Boots store – and rear section of the WH Smith building at 39-41. This area’s plans also includes retail units facing Coney Street and Waterloo Place totalling 7,080 sq ft, leisure units on the riverside elevation, totalling 8,726 sq ft, and student rooms on the upper floors of this new-build, which will be five to six storeys. New public realm is also included.

Zones 2 and 3 would be delivered first in a phased development, with Zone 4 following.

Changes made to the scheme include a reduction on the overall number of student bedspaces, from 407, a result of two floors being cut from the main block in Zone 3. Height has also been cut from Zone 4.

Max Reeves, development director at Helmsley Group, said: “It has been a long journey to get to this point, but we are now optimistic that we will be given the green light to move forward with this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

“Having worked closely with key stakeholders in York over the past few years, we know that this development would not only be welcomed but is needed, and will bring significant benefits, including increased visitor numbers, vital public green space, job creation and boosted city centre spend. We are extremely grateful to everyone for their support.

“Coney Street Riverside will build on our long-held ambition to revitalise Coney Street and reconnect it with its riverfront, alongside creating a welcoming, family friendly offer and much-needed accommodation to meet student demand within the city.”

The masterplan’s development

Key consultees are broadly onside with the plans, with the alterations to the scheme assuaging early concerns from the likes of Historic England and York Civic Trust. Crucially, Historic England said it supports “the principle of the mix of uses proposed and making the river frontage publicly accessible”.

Writing in support, York BID pointed out that having missed out on Levelling Up Fund support, “there will be no immediate large-scale regeneration money handed down” and that the project will make the city centre economy more sustainable and “less reliant on the peaks and troughs of tourism”.

In summary, officers said: “There are multiple public benefits to the scheme which cumulatively are substantial; they are economic, social and environmental. These benefits clearly outweigh the identified harm to the conservation area.”

The CoYC planning report also recommends that delegated authority be given to its head of planning and development services to refer the application to the Secretary of State for consideration at this stage.

Should the proposals get the nod at national level, Helmsley will move forward with delivering the scheme, subject to a separate planning application for another, smaller area of the site which is still in the planning works.

Neil Brown, director of architect brown + company, said: “Our design re-establishes the primacy of Coney Street within York by creating small retail units, reflecting the historic shop sizes which are appropriate for today’s thriving independent retail offer.

“We have incorporated the existing site levels to create a new, welcoming, accessible public open space linking Coney Street and the river. This public open space reflects the historic water lanes that once connected Coney Street with the river and re-establishes one such historic lane.

“Accessibility for all is of paramount importance and the landscape design integrates leisure and public spaces to ensure that this space will be used by families, locals, visitors and leisure users alike.”

The Coney Street Riverside proposals can be viewed on CoYC’s planning portal with the reference 22/02525/FULM