As tipped by the Enquirer, Sisk will now work up detailed designs for a spine road, access bridge and rail link that will be essential to deliver a new commercial and residential district.

This element of the programme is expected to cost over £70m.

The approved outline plans for the York Central site include 2,500 new homes, 900,000 sq ft of commercial and 130,000 sq ft of retail and leisure space.

Sisk’s designs will inform a decision by the council to proceed with a costed construction programme for York Central enabling infrastructure.

The York Central Partnership made up of Homes England, Network Rail, the National Railway Museum and City of York Council, have been working collaboratively for the past four years to develop proposals to unlock the potential of the brownfield site.

Cllr Keith Aspden, leader of the council, said: “The delivery of York Central is a once in a lifetime opportunity to build much needed affordable homes and new public spaces, attract better paid jobs, and create sustainable transport links for the city.

“We look forward to working with the York Central Partnership to secure further improvements to the scheme and with Sisk to begin this essential first phase of work in preparing the York Central site for development.”

Ian Gray, Homes England on behalf of York Central Partnership, said: “This is a really exciting and important milestone towards the delivery of our ambitious plans at York Central.

“A lot of hard work has been put in by York Central Partnership to get this far and this contract demonstrates our commitment to delivering the ambition and vision for the site.”

Paul Brown, Managing Director, UK Civils at John Sisk & Son, said: “We are delighted to have been selected to progress the design of some of the key enabling infrastructure.

“This is a project of huge ambition which will transform underused land in the centre of York into vibrant and distinctive residential neighbourhoods, cultural spaces and a high-quality commercial quarter.”

YCP has secured planning approval, subject to the finalisation of the S106 agreement, for its outline planning application and assembled a potential £155m funding package for infrastructure works.