Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps he is taking to ensure that the design of the Government Hub in York blends with the rest of the city.

I would be happy to meet with the hon. Member for York Central to discuss the proposed Hub in York Central.

The Hub in York Central is expected to open late 2027/early 2028 although this remains subject to final commercial agreements and progress of the wider site infrastructure and Public Realm. The GPA is working in partnership with Homes England, Network Rail and the development partners McLaren and Arlington Real Estate to ensure the masterplan development programme works for all parties.

In support of the recent successful planning application there has been a significant amount of public consultation. This consultation informed the final design to meet local stakeholder feedback. Including:

Public Consultation 01 (17/11/2022-19/11/2022)

Public Consultation 03 (02/03/2023-04/03/2023)

Public Webinar 01 (22/11/2022)

Public Webinar 02 (08/03/2023)

York Central Design Review Panel (12/12/2022)

For the duration of the design development and leading up to the planning application submission there has been extensive discussions with the planning officers at the City of York Council (CYC) along with the relevant design and technical advisors. This proactive engagement through the pre-application process has included the following meetings:

PreApplication Meeting 01 (08/07/2022) - Massing Discussion

PreApplication Meeting 02 (13/09/2022) - Planning focus

PreApplication Meeting 03 (21/09/2022) - Design Development

PreApplication Meeting 04 (21/10/2022 - Highways and Drainage

PreApplication Meeting 05 (22/11/2022)- Design Development

PreApplication Meeting 06 (07/12/2022) - Heritage Impact

PreApplication Meeting 07 (27/02/2023) - Planning focus

PreApplication Meeting 07 (28/06/2023) - Design and Planning Focus

The above meetings sought to discuss the emerging massing, scale and materiality of the Proposed Development. The team held open conversations regarding design development and heritage impact, and planning officers have been supportive of the proposal. The Proposed Development has been sympathetically designed in line with the York Central Outline Planning Application’s approved parameters and design guidance. The comments and observations of the CYC officers have informed the development of the designs throughout the pre-application process.

The Hub has been designed with York at the forefront of the scheme and has been a

collaborative effort between all partners, including CYC and the York Design Review Panel. In particular, the detailed articulation of the façade design celebrates the railway history of the site and the character of its setting, whilst also considering the views from the station platforms and the city walls. The design has also been endorsed by Heritage England and the York Design Trust.

Key highlights include:

• Contextual design: Near some of the key historic assets within the City of York such as the City Walls (grade I), the adjacent York Railway Station (grade II*) and the National Rail Museum (grade II). Sustainability and Environmental Considerations: a genuine commitment to achieve BREEAM Outstanding, NABERS UK 5* and EPC A.

• Community Involvement: 2 sessions of public engagement and 2 webinars held.

• Building Design and Functionality: Innovative, functional well- considered design intended to feel timeless, and dynamic whilst allowing flexible spaces that meet the diverse needs of government departments.

• Digital Innovation: Façade patterns optimised through rapid climate assessment and development of a new core distances evaluation tool at the feasibility/massing stage.

The Hub will be a multi-occupied building, made up from over 10 different

government departments and agencies, totalling approximately 2,600 FTE. The two

main anchor departments are the Cabinet Office (CO) and DEFRA (Department of the Environment, Farming and Rural Affairs); both are committed in principle to the

project. CO are expected to recruit in the region of 300 roles into York, some of

which have already been recruited and are based at the existing office at York Kingspool which was part- refurbished in 2024 to ensure a suitable home for Civil Servants prior to the new Government Hub being built. Kingspool already houses circa 1,600 FTE who are all expected to move across to the Hub when ready.

The Hub will also generate a number of roles in facilities management, catering and security.