Upper floors of Spurriergate property to be converted into flats

The trend otwards providing living accomodation in the upper floors of shops in the City centre is gaining momentum.

A planning application has been submitted for Goldsmiths at 12-16 Spurriergate which would see a change of use of the upper floors from offices to 2 self-contained holiday lets with external alterations including a new shop front and entrance

The building is a four-storey Grade II listed building with a shop a ground floor and former offices at first, second and third floors,

According to a statement submitted by the developers,

“The proposed scheme involves changing the use of the upper floors to holiday apartments, introducing a new timber staircase and modifying the shop frontto create a new access.

Secondary glazing will be introduced and other associated internal alterations will be carried out to bring the apartments up to contemporary living standards. These proposed works have been thoughtfully considered to minimize any potential harm to the heritage significance of the listed building.

All floors will be refurbished, including the complete renewal of services and the introduction of Mechanical Ventilation with Heat Recovery (MVHR). Changes at ground floor level involve modifying the shop front to incorporate a new separate entrance for the upper floor apartments, removing a modern staircase and part of a suspended ceiling to accommodate a new timber staircase.

On the first floor, alterations will include the removal of the modern kitchen and WCs, and new partitions will create a one-bed apartment. On the second and third floors the proposed alterations will create a three-bed, duplex apartment.

Repairs will be made to the external fabric of the rear elevation and all historic windows

Groves “church hall” to be converted into 3 flats

A Church group is set to move out of the upper floor of 133 Lowther Srtreet shortly.

They have leased the room, which is located above a Spar store, for 3 years, but do not intend to renew the lease.

Instead the building owners intend to convert the space into 3 flats

A planning application has been submitted

More details can be found here (click)

Two derelict York pubs could converted into flats

Castle Howard Ox

A Council planning commitee is being recommended NOT to approve the conversion of the derelict Castle Howard Ox pub into student flats. The former pub is located in The Groves area and has been empty for six years.

Permission had already been refused for a change of use in 2021 with planners then saying “that the site had not been adequately marketed. The site was loss of a community facility. The replacement of a public house with student accommodation would not make a positive contribution to a sustainable community”.

The current proposal is to convert the existing building into 16 student studio apartments with a two storey extension to the side/east elevation plus a first and second storey extension to the rear/north elevation, and a single storey rear/north extension, following the demolition of the single storey projections

Five objections to the plans were received by the Council. There was some criticism that the asking price for the sale of the property fpr use as a pub had increased from £250,000 to £600,000.

Planning officials, in recommending, refusal say “It is not considered that the site has been reasonably marketed and as such there is insufficient evidence to demonstrate that the facilities no longer serve a community function and demonstrably cannot be adapted to meet other community needs or are surplus to requirements; neither has it been sufficiently demonstrated that the facilities are no longer financially viable with no market interest”.

The application will be determined on 12th December

The Jubilee, Balfour Street. Leeman Road

A planning application has been submitted which could see the conversion of the former public house to form 6 apartments with associated access, parking and bike stores.

The proposals include external alterations including dormers and the insertion of rooflights following demolition of outbuildings, canopy and external staircase

The property has been vacant since 2016.

The site was subject to a recent appeal which was allowed in February 2022 for proposed alterations and conversion of part of the first floor and all of the roofspace of the public house building into three self-contained apartments with retention of the public house at ground floor level and altered function room on the first floor

The applicants now say ” following an extensive period of marketing, no viable or credible offers have
been received for The Jubilee Public House and the use is therefore not considered to be viable in the current market”.

The application is currently out for consultation

Plan for flats above shop in Ousegate

The shop unit on High Ousegate would be retained

Proposals have been submitted which would see underused storage space, above a shop unit currently occupied by the Card Factory on High Ousegate, converted into flats.

Yorks emerging Local Plan encourages the residential use of the upper floors of shop units.

The Card Factory shopfront on Coppergate would be demolished and replaced with a gated staircase which would provide access to the flats.

The proposal is to demolish the existing shopfront of 9 Coppergate, taking the façade back around 9.5m to the rear extension of 24-25 High Ousegate.

Coppergate shop would be demolished

The planning application explains,

“Undertaking the demolition will reinstate the former opening between the rear of 11 Coppergate and the rear extension to High Ousegate, in turn creating the necessary access to an existing unused area of flat roof at first floor. To provide access up to first floor a new feature external stair is proposed. The stairs’ purpose is fourfold;

• Provide primary access / egress for residents.
• Provide additional south facing residential amenitytiered seating area (to east of main stair). Addition of flora and fauna planted area introducing
• greenery into previously developed urban setting (west of main stair).
• Provide contemporary streetscape intervention along Coppergate and opportunity for artwork (ghost sign) to existing brick gable.

The developers say, that “the primary aim of the proposals is to secure the long-term future of the building through the delivery of a commercially viable, yet historically sensitive redevelopment whilst enhancing the streetscene along Coppergate”.

The plans include the provision of a shadow advertisement on a gable wall

Further details of the plans can be read by clicking the summary below below

Internal and external alterations including change of use of upper floors from retail floorspace to form 6 apartments to include alterations to fenestration, rooflights, landscaping with access to rear following partial demolition of 9 Coppergate | Cardfactory 24 – 25 High Ousegate York YO1 8RX

Fulford Fish and Chip cafe to become flats

A plannig application has been submitted which would see the fish and chip restaurant at 77 Main Street converted into 2 one bedroomed flats. The plans involve the demolition of the existing rear extension and associated external alterations

A planning and access statement submitted with the planning applcation says

“We are seeking approval for the existing commercial fish and chip shop to be converted into two 1-bedroom apartments with a rear courtyard area with bin/bike stores.

Rear single storey offshoot to be made good with a replacement roof.

Demolition of single storey toilet block to facilitate amenity space for both proposed units.

The proposals are being progressed due to the viability of the commercial unit. The owners of the unit have had 5no. tenants in over the past few years, who have all suffered various issues resulting in the unit being closed and looking for new tenants.

The change of use would also remove the large deliveries to the front of the shop, on main street which causes havoc with traffic in the area”.

Major York firm faces planning set back

Plans by major York employer Pavers to erect a new 11,275m2 warehouse at their Northminster Business Park home are being recommended for refusal by York Council officials

The business park lies between Poppleton and Knapton and is accessed from Northfield Lane. It is technically within the boundaries of the Green Belt but is scheduled for expansion under the draft Local Plan which is currently subject to an official examination.

Pavers Shoes is a home-grown business, established in York by the family 50 years ago. The company has gone from strength to strength and now trades on a global scale, whilst retaining roots firmly in the City. The proposal would create 100 new jobs.

The Company employs over 1,700 people nationwide, including 270 employees based at Northminster Business Park and more than 20 staff at Pavers’ two stores in York. The Company is expected to have an annual turnover of £200m in 2022 and is planning for a turnover of £350m by 2028.

Most of fhe area outlined for expansion is being taken up by a new DPD depot.

The Pavers scheme would include associated works including an extended servicing area (8 loading bays and turning space for HGV’s), vehicle and cycle parking, and landscaping, including native tree and shrub planting at the site boundary.

A report being considered next week says, “Recent growth has seen the expansion of Pavers’ retail portfolio to over 180 stores and increases in online sales by over 700% in the last 3 years. Storage requirements are expected to double over the next 5 years. The company has already reached capacity at its Northminster Business Park base; current operations rely on off-site storage facilities. The applicant’s position is that additional warehouse facilities are essential on-site; a single warehouse facility is necessary for efficient business operations”.

Officials are opposing the application because of its impact on the Green Belt.

There is better news for Pavers on a separate application which seeks to provide additional office space at their existing building.

The proposal is recommended for approval and would comprise a front extension to the existing building to provide office accommodation.

The facility will provide some 2,069m2 office space and be comparable in height to the existing building. A (reconfigured) car parking area is shown to the front of the office (north car park) a further car park (south car park) is also proposed to the south-east of the existing Pavers site.

The meeting to consider the applications takes place on 3rd November

The meeting will also consider detailed plans for the redevelopment of the remainder of the former gas works site near Heworth Green, The plans are recommended for approval and would see 392 flats for rent constructed.

Affordable homes set back as developer struggles to meet planning obligations

Developers, building 62 luxury residential apartments on a site on Eboracum Way, say they can’t make the agreed payment of over £2 million in planning obligations.

Most of the payment was earmarked for the provision of new affordable homes.

The planning permission agreed in February 2020 required the developer to make the usual S106 payments to cover the costs of education, open space, sports provision and a car club as well as a £1,940,302 contribution towards the provision of off-site affordable housing.

The developer claims that the plans have now run into “abnormal costs”. These arise partly from a lack of easy access to the site as well as the impact of rising building costs.

An independent report from the District Valuer concludes that the half-finished development is not commercially viable.

The £14 million development is already 14 months behind schedule

Papers being considered by the planning committee next week claim that the developer paid too much for the site.

The developer will make a profit of 8% on his investment if the planning obligation is reduced to £1 million.

The committee is recommended to reduce the required payment. If it fails to do so then there is the possibility that the site would be acquired for student accommodation or an apartment hotel, neither of which would have an affordable housing obligation.

Original design

NB. The delayed consideration of the proposed Roman Museum & apartments plan for Rougier Street will now recommence at 4:30pm on Wednesday 5th October.

Historic Acomb building set for investment

Changes are planned for 60 York Road. Acomb. The building is one of Acombs oldest and lies within the Conservation area.

The building has had a very mixed past with multiple uses. At present, it is a “house in multiple occupations” (HMO meaning it is let as “rooms” – normally to single individuals).

A planning application has been submitted to convert the building into 7 one bedroom flats and 1 two bedroomed flat plus associated alterations, demolition of a pre-fab garage and the construction of a pair of one bedroom semi-detached bungalows, along with the creation of 10 car parking spaces and construction of secure cycle store and bin storage

The application is unusual as the trend in recnet years has been for more HMOs to be established in the City

The selection of the bungalow to the rear may be controversial although it is hidden when viewed from York Road.

The applicants have submitted an interesting history of the building which can be read by clicking here.

60 York Road over the centuries

The planning application is likely to be considered by the Planning Committee in the year.

Planning reference 22/01840/FULM

Salvation Club to be converted into apartments

A planning application has been a submitted which would see the Salvation nightclub on Tanner Row/George Hudson Street converted into apartments. There would be a restaurant use in part of the ground floor.

The building was originally built in the second half of the 19th century as a five-storey hotel known as The Great Northern Hotel on the corner of Tanner Row and George Hudson Stree

In total 19 serviced flats would be created in what is a Grade 11 Listed building

The development would effectively add two floors to the building. It is located opposite the large “Roman Quarter” development. The planning application consideration on the latter was suspended following the death of the Queen last week.

York Castle Gateway project collapsing? Wates sacked.

It looks like the Councils plans to build flats on the Castle Mill  car park site on Piccadilly are floundering.

Castle Mills proposed development

A report to a meeting next week confirms that the  responsible contractor has been sacked following delays and cost overruns.

The Council has already spent £3.5 million on its plans for the area.

It is unclear what, if any, liabilities may arise for the Council out of a decision to terminate the contract.

The 100 apartment scheme was to have cost £28.2 million and produced a profit which would have  been used to fund a multi storey car park on St Georges Field. The car park would have replaced York most popular car park (the 327 spaces at Castle) which generates over £1 million a year in revenues for the City.

The Council still hopes to develop the Castle Mills site itself but and decision will not be taken before the summer of 2023.Any changes to car parking arrangements will also be delayed. A plan to build 52 apartments on part of the St Georges site has also been abandoned because of flooding concerns.

The position, on what might replace the Castle car park, is also mired in confusion.

The Council had hoped to fund works through government grants but this seems increasingly unlikely. York is simply viewed as being too prosperous to be regarded by the government as a high priority for “levelling up”.

The delivery of the Castle and Eye of York part of the plan will now form part of the Council’s round two Levelling Up Fund bid. The bid must be submitted by 6th July, and successful bids are expected to be announced by central government in the autumn. If successful £10 million could be injected into the project but conditions attached to any grant would spell the loss of significant numbers of car parking spaces.

The report explain how many car parking spaces will be lost but fails to include those already lost by the closure of the park at Castle Mills

Business leaders have already warned of dire consequences for the City centre economy if this happened while the Councils own financial position would be even more precarious if it lost over £1 million in parking revenues.

No updated  business plan for the project has been revealed despite the substantial change in building and materials costs. It seems unlikely that rapidly escalating building costs could be compensated for by increased sale prices.

So there is every chance that the Castle Mills site will end up in the hands of private developers who may adopt a different strategy. It is a similar gloomy picture at the nearby site at 17/21 Piccadilly (currently occupied by Sparks)

The are Council elections in May 2023 so new Councillors will end up with a major hot potato on their hands unless the Council decides to cut its losses and abandon the ill-fated scheme.

Original cost analysis and images of development at Castle Mills (