Latest news on Castle Gateway
On Tuesday 4 November 2025 the Council’s Executive received an update report on the Castle and Eye of York project and the next steps. The Executive approved the project's funding model and plans for improvements to Coppergate Car Park, so further work on procuring and delivering the scheme can commence. They also agreed that Castle Car Park can close from spring 2026 at the earliest. You can read the papers online, or watch the meeting on our webcast page.
Earlier this year amendments to the planning submission were published with ambitious plans for the regeneration of the area. This is now working its way through the planning process and is expected to be considered at a planning committee in the next few months.
We’re working on ambitious plans to regenerate the Castle Gateway area of the city, by transforming the heart of it into a public space for residents and visitors to enjoy, improving the setting of York’s heritage assets, increasing city connectivity, delivering city centre living and supporting the local economy.
Aerial view of the Castle Gateway area
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. The area covers the length of Piccadilly, the Coppergate Shopping Centre, Clifford's Tower and the Eye of Yorkshire, and runs through to St George's Field and the Foss Basin.
The area has great potential in terms of its location, historic and cultural assets, yet also has areas of significant dereliction and underdevelopment. Regeneration will provide an opportunity to develop retail, leisure and residential facilities, which will complement and build on the vitality of the city centre. This will improve the historic setting of Clifford's Tower and the quality of public space and accessibility throughout the area.
Find out more about the various initiatives underway to improve the area: