Previous Initiatives: City Council Headquarters – Hungate
it has been acknowledged for many years that the City of York Council had insufficient space in its offices behind the Guildhall; and that it would be more efficient to co-locate the various City Council offices spread across the city. In its search for a new headquarters, in 2008 the City Council brought forward a scheme to build on the Hungate site to the east of the city centre. It adjoined a conservation area with a number of grade I listed buildings on its boundary and would have adjoined sat a grade II* historic pub (the Black Swan in Peasholme Green). It was, in the Trust's view, another case of gross over-development, taking no account of context.
After strong objections by York Civic Trust and English Heritage, the Council, to its great credit, withdrew the application. There have however been other developments on Hungate and the York Archaeological Trust has been able to undertake an important five-year-long excavation there.
After lengthy consideration the City of York Council undertook an entirely new scheme for its headquarters. It has made use of the former nineteenth century railway station (1841), railway offices and hotel – a superb listed building by G.T. Andrews – which has been converted and adapted in an imaginative and sustainable way (architects Crease, Strickland, Parkin). The Council moved into their new headquarters in early 2013.