Station front and Queen Street bridge from city walls, October 2018

Previously, some weeks back, we were pondering the reactions to plans for the hugely complex site behind the railway station, known as York Central. As there’s now a planning application in for the hugely complex site in front of the railway station, time for a quick look at that.

Let’s head out through the station entrance and past the taxis and the bus stops, and into the fresh air (well, kind of). Here we have the city walls, with Queen Street bridge taking us round the corner of the walls towards Micklegate Bar, and passing the Railway Institute buildings.

The planning application for the changes in this area can be found on this link:

19/00535/FULM | York Station Frontage

(or go to https://planningaccess.york.gov.uk/online-applications/ and put 19/00535/FULM in the search box). There’s also an associated application: 19/00542/LBC (Listed Building Consent).

Under these plans, Queen Street Bridge would be demolished, something I covered at some length some months back, and the part of the plans I find most interesting. But the very long description of this application on the planning portal shows the extent of the planned changes:

‘Demolition of Queen Street Bridge and construction of new highway; reinstatement and construction of earth ramparts and retaining walls to part of the City Wall. Demolition of pedestrian bridge and works to the York Railway Institute elevation; demolition of Band Room. Construction of two-deck car park. Part demolition station building (Parcel Square) and construction of a new facade, roof and canopy and associated works to retained elevations. Public realm and highway improvements along Queen Street and Station Road. Demolition of Unipart Rail Service Centre building and construction of temporary surface car park, alterations to existing car park and taxi drop-off arrangements.’

So that’s quite complicated, isn’t it. There are many documents covering this major development. I’ve looked at only a few, and thought I’d mention a few aspects that caught my attention, in a huge amount of information on what is a major development in a historically sensitive area. I hope other websites/local media will cover this planning application more in due course, perhaps.

The view from Queen Street

The proposed removal of the redundant Queen Street Bridge will obviously involve major disruption for a long period of time, so any enhancements it offers to the local landscape and the way we travel around it need to be considerable for it to be worthwhile.

Local media coverage has tended to focus on views of and from the area immediately outside the station. I was interested in seeing representations of how it might look, and how it might work, on Queen Street, approaching the station from Blossom Street.

As I don’t have a photo I’ve turned to Google Street View for a an image of how it looks at present:

Queen Street, Google Street View, July 2018

And here’s how it might look, according to an image in the Design and Access statement submitted as part of the planning application:

Proposals for Queen Street, from the Design and Access Statement (ref 19/00535/FULM)

The removal of the bridge makes way for a flatter and wider road. The pavement on the left looks very wide too, while the cycle lane looks narrow and squashed in next to the traffic, as it is at present.

Perhaps better for cars, buses, taxis etc? But it doesn’t look like an improvement for cyclists.

And of course the image above doesn’t show the inevitable forest of road signs etc that will clutter up that clean-looking space.

The removal of the bridge will give a better view of the station, and one of the Railway Institute buildings. Which leads on to another important aspect of these plans …

Railway Institute band room demolition

These plans, if approved, would mean that the RI would lose a small building they currently use as a band room, which is between the larger buildings, and is to be demolished. Comments on the planning application include quite a few objections, understandably, from members who use this facility and emphasise its importance.

Clearly no demolition should take place until an alternative facility is available to them, acceptable to them, and in use.

Land ownership

Extract from the owhership schedule, York Station frontage plans

In the list of documents submitted with the planning application there’s a ‘Land Ownership Schedule’, which caught my attention.

The document gives an interesting insight into the complexities of what we tend not to think about when travelling across or spending time in this area of land around the front of York station – who owns the various bits of land. Various freehold owners and leaseholders are listed, including those you might expect, like City of York Council, and Network Rail, but there are many ‘unknowns’, and various complicated layers, including the ‘subsoil rights’.

The hotel building alongside the station appears on the list a few times, called the Principal Hotel and the Royal York Hotel, and perhaps remembered by many residents as the Station Hotel. It apparently has large cellars, stretching under the station’s Tea Room Square and it also has ‘Cellars in Footways and Highway – Station Road’. The ‘Owner of surface and subsoil’ is ‘Unknown’ for the bit under the footways and highway.

Rather standing out as a reminder of times past is the interestingly-named ‘Imperial Tobacco Pension Trustees Ltd and Imperial Investments Limited’ – ‘Freehold owner of the cellars at the Royal York Hotel.’

Tea Room Square’s ownership complexities even include an entry for who owns ‘subsoil rights below and above Principal Hotel cellars’.

The nearby cholera burial ground is in there too, its freehold ownership ‘unknown’.

Then we’re back into the complicated layers when it comes to Queen Street Bridge. The ‘Owner of bridge and the parcel of land under the bridge arches (unregistered)’ is Network Rail, and the ‘Owner of part of land beneath north footpath and substructure’ is City of York Council.

Extract, owhership schedule, York Station front

After all these subsoil layers, unknowns, and complexities it’s reassuring to note that the owner of ‘York City Walls and Embankments’ is ‘The Council of the City of York’.

The route of the railway lines

I’ve mentioned before that one of the reasons I had mixed feelings about the demolition of Queen Street bridge was because its arches, when viewed from underneath (from the level of the station’s car park), helped to highlight the original line of the railway lines through the walls to the old station (now West Offices). It was therefore pleasing to see that the Design and Access statement suggests ‘feature paving following the route of the former railway lines’. An image is included of how this might look:

From the Design and Access statement (part 2)

An essential detail, I reckon. Even better if these could be steel rather than shiny stone.

And a multi-storey car park …

Comments on the planning application include concerns about the proposed new car park. Historic England’s response to the plans (PDF here) highlights that they are rather surprised at the lack of detail and information on this aspect:

‘on the basis of the drawings provided we have to question whether it is desirable or appropriate to construct the multi storey car park using a faux medieval design approach.’

I’m struggling to imagine a faux medieval car park, and though I could go off to find the relevant document on the planning portal, this page is long enough already, so I won’t.

We need to rush off towards town, towards many other stories, and attempt to catch up on all the things I’ve been trying to get something written about for months.

– – – – –

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Queen Street bridge, with the railway station behind, from the city walls, 26 Nov 2018

From Hudson House, built on part of the old railway station site, just inside the city walls, to Queen Street bridge, close to the current railway station, just outside the city walls.

Hudson House has been demolished, and it looks likely that Queen Street bridge will also be demolished, as part of the plans for the station front and the area around it.

This was on the agenda at the recent council executive meeting on 29 November. The report prepared for it (PDF on this link) ‘sets out progress to date on the above scheme and seeks approval to submit a planning application and proceed to work with partners on the detailed scheme in the Spring’. As approval was granted, a planning application for changes in this area will follow in due course.

There are many aspects to the proposals. A consultation over the summer provided information on the various aspects of the redesign, which looks interesting and has been generally welcomed (though there are some specific concerns, raised at the meeting this week, more on that later perhaps).

Here on York Stories I’ve often liked to focus on lesser-known aspects of the local environment, and Queen Street bridge probably comes in to that category.

The bridge on Queen Street was built to cross the railway lines that once went through the city walls to the old station (see the previous page). The site of the old station has changed a lot over the years, and no longer has railway lines. Queen Street Bridge has therefore been redundant as a bridge for many decades.

Here’s a photo from the archives taken from Queen Street bridge, showing the railway lines going under it and through the city walls.

How it used to be around here: taken from Queen St bridge, showing the railway lines still in use through the arches in the city walls (source & more info)

I’ve taken many photos on and around Queen Street bridge, and was pleased to find that I have one that’s taken from more or less the same place, as it looked this summer, 2018:

Taken from Queen St bridge, showing the arch in the city walls in Aug 2018. Hudson House development site beyond

The Hudson House site is visible through the archway, and in the background so is the end of West Offices.

Queen Street bridge isn’t generally recognised as a bridge, these days, and that’s not surprising, as many of us will have never seen anything travelling underneath it. I remember as a teenager catching buses from Acomb into town, and how the buses would follow this bit of road close to the city walls, rounding the corner here, with the station building mainly below, and I never gave it a thought. It was just a bit of road. An elevated bit of road.

It takes a while to fully appreciate the histories/levels/layers of a place.

Queen Street bridge, looking towards the Railway Institute, 1 July 2018

The bridge was built in 1877-8, close to the corner of the city walls, surprisingly close.

Anyone looking down on the bridge from the city walls might notice that between the old stone of the walls and the rather more recent bridge are these steps, at one time accessed from a gate on the bridge. Another apparently more recent gate has also been added at the top of the steps.

Steps, and litter, between Queen Street bridge and the city walls, 3 Oct 2018

I wonder how long it is since anyone went up or down these steps. This stepped area appears to be serving no purpose apart from being an informal litter bin, a dead debris-collecting space.

The demolition of the bridge would open up views of this part of the city walls, the arches here, where the trains used to come in.

On Queen Street bridge, looking down on the archways cut through the city walls (1 July 2018)

On Queen Street bridge, looking down on archways cut through the city walls (1 July 2018)

The bridge has clearly changed a bit since it was built, and from above just looks quite modern and concretey.

Queen Street bridge, looking from the city walls, 26 Nov 2018

Further information from York Civic Trust explains some of the history of the bridge and why it now looks more modern and concretey:

The bridge, built in 1877-8 to replace a level crossing which had existed since 1839, served to admit railway tracks across this street into a railway terminal depot within the city wall. Although new station facilities were provided outwith the City Walls with the opening of the current station in 1877, the North Eastern Railway (NER) wished to retain railway access across Queen Street, although their use of the tracks would be considerably reduced. Railway use of the level crossing fell considerably with the opening of the 1877 station, road use however rose greatly, so the bridge was built at the behest of York Corporation during 1877-8. The Bridge was modified in 1909, with the two northernmost arches being replaced by a single steel-girder span. In conjunction with the corporation having acquired horse-drawn street tramways, and a move to electrify them, the bridge was widened by moving the pedestrian footways out onto extensions flanking either side of the bridge. These were constructed at the city’s expense using reinforced-concrete stanchions; a good relation had existed for some years between the NER and the ‘Hennebique ferro-concrete’ consultant L.G. Mouchel. The bridge ceased to span railway tracks in the mid-1960s with the building of Hudson House. By the 1970s, the concrete structure was beginning to pull away from the original bridge, possibly as a result of vehicles mounting the pavement, so work was carried out to bond these back in and address damage to the bridge parapets.

(source (PDF))

There is impressive 19th century brickwork underneath it, in parts of the tunnels visible from the level of the station car park alongside. But from all other angles it looks rather awkward now, a concretey thing rising up out of car park and blocked off with steel fencing.

Queen St bridge from the car park area by the station, city walls and RI buildings behind, 16 Feb 2016

All it does is to restrict all the traffic here to using it, while there’s a lot of land just below it and around it that could be remodelled to fit better with the needs of the 21st century city.

Queen St bridge from the access road through the Railway Institute buildings, 16 Feb 2016

Walking round the walls from Micklegate Bar to the front of the station and looking outwards from the walls it’s clear what space could be opened up if it wasn’t here. It’s not just the bit in the corner, noticeably raised up for the tunnels below for the trains, but the whole slope into it. On the city walls walkway, not far from Micklegate Bar, Queen Street starts to rise up in level to meet the bridge that once crossed railway lines:

From the walls, not far from Micklegate Bar, the road rises towards Queen St bridge (26 Nov 2018)

Then we approach the corner, with the Railway Institute buildings (several, of various dates) in their proud position, close to the ‘new’ (current) railway station.

Railway Institute buildings and Queen Street bridge, looking from the city walls, 26 Nov 2018

Then we’re at the corner of the city’s historic walls, with the end of the railway station platforms on the right, and the Railway Institute buildings straight ahead.

Railway Institute buildings and Queen Street bridge, looking from the city walls, 26 Nov 2018

Back in early 2016, when a public consultation on plans for the whole York Central/station area asked for our views, there were concerns about the future of the Railway Institute buildings. Back then I wrote about those buildings and Queen Street bridge, and felt quite strongly that none of these structures should be demolished, as they’re so important in illustrating the railway heritage here, and the line of the old lines in to the old station.

But since then, as we have had more detailed plans of how changes here might make better use of the space, and benefit everyone who uses the current station, and travels to it and past it (whether in vehicles, on foot, or by bike), I can see that the demolition of Queen Street’s bridge does make sense.

More importantly, in the wider plans, the Railway Institute buildings are to stay in place, though one small building, the band room, looks likely to be demolished, as a planned road won’t fit round it.

Much more could be said about the wider plans for the area, and many interesting comments were raised in the discussion at the executive meeting this week. More later perhaps on other aspects.

For now though, I want to zoom in on the previous image …

Queen Street bridge, cycle lane ‘END’, 26 Nov 2018

In the middle of Queen Street’s bridge, somewhat randomly, a marked cycle lane on the road reaches its ‘END’.

Quite what people cycling here are supposed to do at this point isn’t clear. It’s the old-style ‘we’ve done our best on this cycle lane thing, but, oops sorry, that’s it for now. There might be a bit more further down, not sure.’

If the bridge is demolished then it makes more space for everyone. This space should I hope work better for all road users, and pedestrians.

On the 2016 page focused on this area I wanted to see the bridge kept because its arches underneath seemed like they’d provide a good traffic-free route for cyclists, if opened up rather than fenced off and blocked. I imagined us being able to cycle through them and the arches in the city walls here, along the remaining access road to the side of the Hudson House site, to the NER war memorial and West Offices.

Some of the information provided in the consultation this summer included a diagram suggesting this link past Hudson House might be part of the redesign of the wider area. Other plans didn’t include this link. So I’m not sure whether it’s part of the plans or not.

The planning application documents I’ve since looked at relating to the Hudson House development indicate that the site, as bought by Palace Capital, includes the part of the access road alongside it. In other words, as I understand it, it’s private land.

For the sake of the city’s heritage, and our understanding of it, I hope that this line of travel will be part of the wider scheme. If the removal of Queen Street bridge is supposed to help us better appreciate the heritage/cultural value of those 19th century arches cut through the walls — which is one of the reasons given for the bridge’s demolition — then cycle/pedestrian lines of travel through them, and to the old station they served, are a crucial part of it. We can look at them already, from the bridge, as I’ve pictured above. Travelling through them, like the trains used to, that’s the bit I’m interested in.

No doubt it will become clearer in due course …

… But for now, I’m really keen to move on to another bridge, and exciting developments there, at last. Enhancement, replacement, and long awaited … (update: ooh, here’s that page.)

. . . . .

York Stories is a resident’s record of York and its changes. I write about what I know, and raise questions about what I don’t know. I recognise, as many people do, the value of local knowledge, and do my best here to share the perspectives and thoughts of this particular resident, born in the city in the late 1960s, observing the changes. I’ve always aimed to represent things as clearly as possible to as wide a readership as possible, as accurately as possible. It takes a while to do that, and to reach the standard I always aim for. If you’ve found it of value then virtual coffees are always appreciated. Thanks to everyone who supports these York Stories in this way.

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By the Railway Institute buildings, April 2006

In which I humbly suggest that Queen Street should be left as it is, particularly if proposed changes adversely affect the Railway Institute buildings, and that the York Central development should make better use of what’s already there …

(But there’s an update to this page, in light of the 2018 plans.)

As the initial consultation period for the York Central plans ends soon – having been extended to 18 February – I really must make an attempt to approach a couple of its most important aspects in more detail. Or at least the ones I find most important and feel in some way qualified to comment on.

Let’s approach it via Queen Street, to start with. Round by the station, over Queen Street bridge. That high curve giving a fine view of the curved station roof, one curve reflecting others, in a pleasing fashion. Here’s a photo from some years back.

Station from Queen Street, 1 Aug 2004

One of the proposals in the York Central plan is to lose the bridge bit and lower the road level, which the ‘vision’ suggests will make everything lovely at the front of York’s station and make the traffic flow freely for evermore, or something. It looks like another of those ideas of improvement that cost a load of money but don’t bring any actual improvements and instead destroy things of interest and value.

The demolition idea seems to come up every now and then. A few years back (2012) the Press reported that York’s Queen Street bridge could be demolished to make way for bus station.

Queen Street bridge seems an odd name, it’s just Queen Street to most of us, but it once bridged railway lines, when the building now known as the council headquarters — West Offices — was the city’s railway station, before the present station was built. The lines into it went under here. Understanding that means understanding a crucial part of the 19th century development of the city, and what remains here helps us to understand it.

From the car park near the station you used to be able to look at what’s underneath the raised part of Queen Street. What’s underneath it is some of that handsome curving brickwork you get under bridges built over the railways in the 19th century. Or at least it was here in 2007 when I took the following photo, and I assume it still is. When I visited this afternoon the area seems more fenced and gated off than it used to be.

Under Queen Street, 27 June 2007

From the curved brick, if you turn back and look from those old tunnels, you can see railway buildings also associated with those early days of the railway here in York, alongside what used to be railway lines, but is now car park.

Railway Institute buildings (former rail workshops), 26 April 2006

Which takes us to the …

Railway Institute

A recent Press story highlighted fears that the plans for the removal of the Queen Street bridge could involve the demolition of some of the RI’s buildings. The York Central consultation ‘exhibition boards’ document, regarding the possible demolition of the Queen Street bridge, refers to the ‘potential removal or adaptation of the Railway Institute buildings’.

As any removal of these culturally and historically significant buildings would be indefensible, I assume it won’t happen. But perhaps we should all make it clear that it shouldn’t happen, by emailing our views.

These buildings are impressive, the way they sit in the landscape here, particularly as you look out from the city walls. Since the 1980s, heading back to Acomb, I’ve admired this view, and taken many photos of the long roofs here, looking across to Holgate, over the years.

Railway Institute/former railway workshops, 1 June 2013

It’s not just about views, of course, it’s much more important than that. We should all support the Railway Institute and its facilities, whether or not we use them. They’re part of this city’s cultural heritage and they’ve managed to survive into the 21st century.

I can’t see how the demolition of Queen Street bridge would improve anything. Those tunnels underneath would be an excellent pedestrian and cycle access route if opened up rather than fenced off and gated as at present. I walked round there this afternoon, the existing structures sit beautifully in the landscape, the fences and gates make no sense. Remove them, and make better use of what’s already there. Invest in the existing buildings rather than thinking we can build anything better. I don’t believe we can.

Working with the existing structures, preserving the story of this corner of York, helps us and future generations appreciate how the railway used to come in to the city, into the walls, before the current station was built.

The more you study a place the more you get to understand that pathways and boundaries and old lines of travel are a crucial part of the story and soul of a place. Heritage isn’t just about pretty buildings. I wish more of us could appreciate that.

I don’t have time to go into great detail regarding the previous life of the rail workshops, but there’s more information below, and a lot more available online, and comments adding additional info are welcome, as always.

On first impressions, the York Central plans look like they might destroy more than they create.

Comments can be made via email to: yorkcentral@york.gov.uk and more information can be found at www.york.gov.uk/yorkcentral which has links to the proposals and information on how to comment. If you’d prefer to give your views via the online questionnaire it’s on this link. The deadline for comment is 18 February.

Queen Street bridge, and the bar walls, April 2006

Further information/notes

The draft Local List says of the main York Railway Institute building:

built in 1889, “to convey information and spread education on a variety of subjects”. From the beginning, it has offered educational facilities for railway employees and has fulfilled a social and welfare function by providing accommodation for a wide range of recreational activities, associations and clubs. It is included because of its unbroken connection with the railway history of York and for its important contribution to the education and wellbeing of the railway work force and the wider public in York. Almost contemporary with the building of the present York railway station, it forms an important part of the setting of this grade II* listed building.

And of the buildings alongside, housing important sports facilities:

Two parallel ranges adjacent to the Railway Institute, constructed as Locomotive Erecting Shops for the North Eastern Railway Company. The block nearest the RI incorporates the remains of a North & North Midlands wagon repair workshop of the 1840s. This was extended in the1850s and a smith’s shop added, to provide workshops for the newly formed North Eastern Railway Company. Around 1884 the building was raised and converted to provide the No.2 Locomotive Erecting Shop where the locomotives were repaired and sometimes constructed. The second block was purpose built as No.1 Locomotive Erecting Shop in 1879. These blocks of workshops are now rare survivals of a considerably larger group of buildings which represent the development of the railway industry in York during the nineteenth century. This specially applies to the No.2 Erecting Shop which incorporates the remains of an extremely early railway building dating from the 1840s. Much of this history has already been lost through past demolitions in the vicinity. Additionally, they provide the visual and historic context and setting for the grade II* listed York Railway Station and the grade II listed YNM Railway Co. water tank and workshop adjacent.

Queen St before the bridge: 1852 map

Update, 2018

As there are now more detailed plans progressing, I’ve written an update, regarding the bridge and plans for the area around it: Queen Street bridge, and the station front plans (3 Dec 2018).

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