A traditional topping out ceremony has been held on the roof of the Fuse-designed Hudson Quarter development in York after the highest beam was put in place. Work on the Hudson Quarter scheme, located opposite York Railway Station, is on schedule, with contractors having been on site for nine months.

The Bishop of Beverley performed the ceremony on the roof of one of the four buildings on the site, alongside representatives of the developer, Palace Capital, the design team and main contractor, Caddick Construction, marking the completion of the structure of the development.

Neil Sinclair, chief executive of Palace Capital plc, said: “This is an exciting stage in the construction of an iconic development for York.

“The ‘topping out’ is a significant milestone, as we continue to make great progress on the site, which is on schedule to be completed by the end of next year, as planned. Interest in both the offices and apartments has far exceeded our expectations.”

Which is more than can be said for the Christmas tree!