10 Year Plan
10 Year Plan successes and opportunities
York can be proud of a number of successes in recent years, and we've identified a number of opportunities in the coming years. More will be added over, as opportunities become clearer.
These successes and opportunities all help us to meet the priorities within our 10 Year Vision.
The York 2032 Vision is that:
York will be a vibrant, prosperous, welcoming and sustainable city, where everyone can share and take pride in its success.
Opportunities
2026
York St John 185th anniversary
In 2026 York St John will celebrate its 185th anniversary of providing higher education in the city, and 20 years of full University status.
Coney Street Riverside
Coney Street Riverside opens for visitors, 250,000 square foot of mixed-use retail, leisure, and commercial and residential space, with a riverside walk and public space.
Opportunities
2025
Biorenewables Development Centre
Investment into the Biorenewables Development Centre. An open-access research, development and biorefining centre, strengthening innovation and business growth in biotech.
Lung Health Checks
Rollout of partnership and collaboration to enable Lung Health Checks.
National Railway Museum expansion
National Railway Museum opens new Central Hall building, exploring the creation of railways. Central Hall will sit at the heart of the redesigned National Railway Museum site, the gateway to the transformed museum.
York Central opening
York Central is a unique opportunity for housing and economic growth in the centre of York. In 2025 early public spaces will open; early occupation of York Central could mean a new civil service hub.
York Station Gateway
York Station Gateway frontage and station upgrade completed, with improvements to the gateway to the city and the station reinforcing York’s central role in the railways.
University of York student centre
University of York’s new student centre opens as a gateway to the campus. The student centre will pull together the student unions and the university into a single central space for the benefit of all students.
Opportunities
2024
York Station Gateway
Work begins on the York Station Gateway site, creating a more welcoming gateway to York, better access, new public space, and a pedestrian friendly area.
Local Plan adopted
Once adopted, the new Local Plan will determine how the city develops over the next 15 years and beyond, with a 25% increase in housing over the next 15 years.
Castle Gateway
We’re working on ambitious plans to regenerate the Castle Gateway area of the city, transforming it into a world class public space. The Castle Gateway area sits largely within the city walls on the site of the former York Castle where the River Ouse and River Foss meet.
Burnholme housing
First residents move in to the Burnholme housing site. The Burnholme site is part of a regeneration project which has already delivered a new library, community facilities, and care home on the former Burnholme College site. The site including 83 Passivhaus homes and 40% affordable homes.
York Community Woodland
City of York Council is creating an extensive community woodland on 195-acres of land to the West of York. The project has officially been named York Community Woodland.
By 2024 we are aiming to have planted 210,000 trees.
York Minster Centre of Excellence
York Minster Centre of Excellence for Heritage Craft Skills and Estate Management opens, establishing the York Minster Precinct as a world class campus facility for research, education and training in ancient craft skills, and securing long-term environmental and heritage sustainability.
Ordnance Lane housing
First residents move in to the Ordnance Lane site, with the site including 85 Passivhaus homes, 40% affordable homes, 8 commercial units, and 2 community facilities.
Election of Mayor
Regional directly elected mayor, with access to devolved powers and resources, acting to unite and work across the region, with York and North Yorkshire devolution unlocking £540 million of funding over 30 years.
Local Transport Plan
The Local Transport Plan, developed at a regional level in collaboration with the Mayoral Combined Authority, will set out ambitions for York’s transport network and infrastructure.
York Poverty Truth Commission
A poverty truth Commission breaks down barriers between people with lived-experience of poverty and decision makers. In 2024 York Poverty Truth Commission will begin to share findings, with the commission’s feedback informing action to reduce poverty over the years ahead.
York Trailblazers sculpture trail
York Trailblazers sculpture trail launches, discovering new interpretations to celebrate local heritage. Trailblazers is hoped to bring to life York’s collective history for residents and visitors, through workshops, sculpture trail, community grant funding, partner events and marketing.
Successes
2023
Family hubs open
3 family hubs are planned to open across the city, joining together services including midwifery, health visitors and mental health support for children and young people.
Centre of Excellence in Tobacco Control
Collaborating across the region on a centre for excellence in tobacco control.
York Poverty Truth Commission
Launch of York Poverty Truth Commission, people with direct experience of poverty working with decision makers, sharing their knowledge about what’s truly needed to make change.
Anti-Racist Strategy
In October 2021, a motion: ‘Making York an Anti-Racist and Inclusive City’ was unanimously passed by councillors across all political parties. An Anti-Racist Strategy, evidence base and recommendations will be published in 2023.
Reducing loneliness
Work starts on a city wide plan to reduce feelings of loneliness and boost community participation, working to reduce the proportion of adults who report feeling lonely from 25% to 20% of York’s population by 2032.
Institution of Health and Care Improvement
Launch of Institution of Health and Care Improvement at York St John University.
Duncombe Square housing
First residents move in to the Duncombe Square site, with the site including 34 Passivhaus homes, 40% affordable homes, and 1 commercial unit.
National Railway Museum Wonderlab
National Railway Museum opens new Wonderlab gallery, inspiring future generations to consider science, technology and engineering roles.
York Trailblazers sculpture trail
York Trailblazers sculpture trail community engagement begins, to discover and celebrate local heritage stories about people who are important to communities. Trailblazers is hoped to bring to life York’s collective history for residents and visitors, through workshops, sculpture trail, community grant funding, partner events and marketing.
York Community Woodland
We’re creating an extensive community woodland on 195-acres of land to the West of York. We pledged to plant 50,000 new trees by March 2023 in what will become one of the biggest community woodlands in England. The 50,000th tree has now been planted, well ahead of schedule.
Purple Flag
City partners worked together to achieve the national Purple Flag accreditation. The Purple Flag accreditation reflects our aim to help create a safe, thriving and welcoming night time economy for all users.
Successes
2022
Devolution
City partners support the proposed York and North Yorkshire devolution deal, with the deal being signed with government, strengthening local leadership to act more flexibly and innovatively to respond to local need, whether on transport, skills or regeneration.
Community care centres
Opening of 3 community care centres based on the principle of integrated out-of-hospital care.
City of Sanctuary
Work around the city to welcome refugees, including Homes for Ukraine and wider migration.
Pioneering mental health hub
York’ Mental Health partnership open a pilot community mental health hub, connecting different services on clarence street.
Guildhall opening
The restored Guildhall opens, providing modern business space with public access, conference and event space. The complex contains a collection of Grade I, II* and II listed buildings built around the 15th century hall and riverside meeting room.
Inclusive Equal Rights 3.0 UK
Inclusive Equal Rights 3.0 UK launches, a new organisation launched to make York the first anti-racist and inclusive city in the North of England, with a vision to make York a fairer and more equal city for those that live, work or visit, regardless of their background, ability, gender, culture or creed.
York Central
York Central is a unique opportunity for housing and economic growth in the centre of York. In 2022 work began on the York Central site, 2,500 homes and 1.2 million square foot commercial space, creating 6,500 new jobs.
Great British Railways HQ
City partners work together to attract Great British Railways HQ to York. York is at the very heart of the UK and its rail network, with excellent connectivity east and west, north and south.
Devolution Deal
City partners work together to finalise the Devolution Deal, a proposed agreement for a devolution deal between the government and the local authorities of York and North Yorkshire.
Flooding response
When there's flooding in York, we'll work with city partners to provide a suitable response to flooding, including assistance, practical support and information, as soon as it's safe and appropriate to do so.
York St John Creative Centre
The York St John Creative Centre opens, providing a space for performance, creative practice and technology, and a public arts venue for the region’s creative industries, at the heart of the campus.
University of York
Launch of 3 new academic schools at the University of York - the School for Business and Society, the School of Arts and Creative Technologies, and the School of Physics, Engineering and Technology.
Institute for Safe Autonomy
Robotics, autonomous systems and AI have the potential to transform the way we live, travel and work. In 2022 the Institute for Safe Autonomy opened, strengthening the innovation opportunities in the rail sector.
Global Biorenewables Development Centre
Global Biorenewables Development Centre opens, an open-access research and development centre working at the interface between academia and industry to scale-up and commercialise bio-based products.
Successes
2021
LNER Community Stadium
York LNER Community Stadium opens, providing a base for community partners and health and leisure facilities, home to York City Knights and York Football Club.
Lowfield Green housing
The first residents move in to Lowfield Green, the site includes 165 energy efficient homes including 19 community build, 6 self-build, and 40% affordable homes.
10 Year City Centre vision
10 Year City Centre vision adopted, as a guide to investment in the centre to help to inform policy decisions, creating a city centre everybody wants to be part of.
Local Government Reorganisation
City partners work together on Local Government Reorganisation, Successful leadership from a global city on a compact scale. We recognise the need to support the prosperity of our sub-region and provide for efficient working at a local government level, as well as the opportunities new arrangements could bring to York.
Flooding response
When there's flooding in York, we'll work with city partners to provide a suitable response to flooding, including assistance, practical support and information, as soon as it's safe and appropriate to do so.
Successes
2020
COVID-19 Outbreak Management Advisory Board
The Outbreak Management Advisory Board brings city partners together on a shared goal after the first 2 cases of COVID-19 in the UK are in York, leading to the launch of the Let's Be York campaign.
COVID-19 vaccination programme
from 2020 to 2022 York vaccination rollout completed, leading to over 95% vaccination rate for people over 70 years old, severely immunosuppressed or extremely vulnerable. See the COVID-19 Daily Data Tracker data on York Open Data.
COVID-19 and flooding response
City partners worked together on the response to COVID-19. When there's flooding in York, we'll work with city partners to provide a suitable response to flooding.
