The Roman Quarter plans move forward with planning application lodged

A planning application has been submitted for the The Roman Quarter project on Rougier Street, in York City Centre.

The proposals will regenerate this key gateway into the City Centre, include a two-year archaeological dig and a world class Roman visitor attraction, in an iconic new building.

An artist’s impression of what the new ‘Roman Quarter’ will look like.

An economic report submitted as part of the application, has stated that the project will create and extra £252 million to the York economy over the next 30 years and create over 450 jobs.

Submitted jointly by York-based North Star and York Archaeological Trust, the scheme includes apartments, retail, office space, leisure space and the attraction. Consultation has been taking place over recent months with 88 per cent of responses received supportive of the project.

Three buildings on Rougier Street – Northern House, Rougier House and Society Bar – will be replaced with the iconic new building that will also use cutting edge sustainable technology and features.

The three buildings on Rougier Street that will be replaced as part of the proposals.

Through the consultation, the proposals have been amended following feedback and these include creating a more active street frontage on Rougier Street, amending the mass of the building and increasing the landscaping and public realm around the site.

The plans include the new attraction, 290 apartments, retail and leisure space and offices.

As part of the plans, the former Roman road which runs behind the buildings will be reinstated to reinvigorate this part of the City. It will connect Tanner Street with Tanner’s Moat and will form a key part of the new attraction.

York Archaeological Trust, which developed the JORVIK Viking Centre following the Coppergate dig in the late 1970s and early 1980s, will conduct a two year dig of the site, prior to building work starting. The dig will be one of the largest of its kind in the UK, and is expected to be especially significant given the waterlogged ground conditions which preserved so much organic matter at Coppergate. With artefacts expected to date from 2000 years ago, and trial pits revealing the potential for major discoveries, significant Roman finds will be displayed in the new basement visitor attraction.

The once-in-a-generation dig itself will have significant public benefit, with an ambition for every school child in the city participating across the two years, and visitors able to tour the dig site, effectively creating the most immersive archaeological dig experience York has ever seen, alongside education projects, exhibitions and arts initiatives. The archaeology alone will provide a significant positive impact for the local economy, driving national and international tourism, and providing global exposure for the city.

This will continue when the completed attraction – which will be double the size of JORVIK Viking Centre - opens. Early predictions suggest it will receive around half a million visitors per year, adding £20 million to York’s economy.

A concept of what the Roman-themed attraction could look like.

David Jennings, CEO York Archaeological Trust commented:

“Before the Coppergate dig, York was known predominantly as a Roman city, but JORVIK Viking Centre changed that perception, and we’re now better known for our Viking heritage. This dig is the most significant single Roman excavation ever undertaken in York, and we have the skills and expertise to explore, preserve and interpret everything we find to add more depth and colour to our understanding of Roman York, and the unique soil conditions here which preserve organic matter will give us more insight than ever before into how Roman citizens lived here – what they ate, how they cooked and even what illnesses were rife during this period. The potential for discovery is enormous, and it is highly unusual for us to be able to plan a brand new, state-of-the-art visitor attraction to display our finds even as they are coming out of the ground.”

A spokesperson for North Star commented:

“We have been very encouraged with the public response to the proposals since we launched them earlier this year. People recognise the many benefits that this vision will bring and we firmly believe these plans will massively improve this part of the City Centre and act as a catalyst for wider improvements. The aim is to create an iconic building that the City can be proud of.

“If we secure planning for these plans, the economic benefits to the City will be huge, as well as enhancing York’s cultural offer through a unique world class visitor attraction.”

Paul Whiting, head of marketing and communications for Visit York, added:

“Using York’s history as a catalyst for innovation has ensured that the city continues to be one of the most popular visitor destinations in the UK. With unrivalled heritage credentials stretching right back past the time of Emperor Constantine, York is well-placed for a new landmark attraction to join the world-leading offer we already enjoy. We are all excited to uncover the long-lost stories that will be unearthed during the archaeological dig, helping residents and visitors alike to have a even better understanding of how the people of the Roman period onwards have helped shape the York we know today.”

York residents at the public consultation event last June

An extensive consultation process has taken place over the last six months, including an exhibition on the site that was attended by over 400 people. Of the responses received to date, 88 per cent have been in favour of the plans.

The planning application can be viewed on the City of York Council website. Enter reference number 19/02672/FULM to access the application.

For further media information please contact Jay Commins at Pyper PR on +44 (0)1904 500698 or email jay@pyperyork.co.uk