Shop close to York Minster to be turned into holiday home

A shop 60 metres from York Minster is set to be turned into a holiday rental.

The owners of the former Monkey Puzzle store at 19, High Petergate, next door to Cafe Concerto, have applied for permission to turn the building into a flat for tourists.

The independent jewellery shop has now closed and a statement says attempts to find someone else to take over the unit have been unsuccessful.

It says:

• The main problem is the limited space and facilities within the shop premises which does not make it attractive to potential retailers.

  Due to the location of the property so close to York Minster and other major tourist attractions the applicant also sees the opportunity to use the space for holiday rental.
  

Grade II listed

Under the plans, the ground floor of the shop would become a bedroom and the first floor storage area would be turned into a living room and kitchen.

The staff toilet will be turned into an en-suite bathroom for the let.

The existing shop entrance would become the front door for the rental.

The building is Grade II listed and the garden backs on to St Wilfrid’s Church.

Before 1980 the building was registered as a single home.

Planning documents say the front of the building is only 60 metres from the west front of the Minster.

The site is linked to 17, High Petergate, a home to the rear of the building also owned by the applicant, and dates back to the late 17th century.

Porta Dextra Gallery, another business on High Petergate specialising in jewellery and artwork, also closed its doors last month.

The company had been based next to Bootham Bar since 1997 and owners said they were shutting the gallery after 22 years to focus on running their business wholly from its website.