An ingenious scheme to convert the disused floors above a York shop into six flats has been given the go-ahead.
The project will see the apartments created at 24-25 High Ousegate, above the Card Factory store.
The upper floors are now used only for storage.
Most of the Grade II listed building can be dated to the 19th century. It was originally built to be a commercial property on the ground floor and residential space on the upper floors.
City property specialist the Helmsley Group put forward the proposal which will see the new apartments accessed via a new staircase at 9 Coppergate.
That scheme has now been approved by City of York Council planners. They said the proposals will have minimal impact on the “historic form” of the property and will “aid in creating a viable use for the heritage asset”.
York Civic Trust has backed the project which, it says, “provides a sustainable use for the vacant upper floors of historic buildings in central York”.
A separate application to remodel the basement, ground floor and first floor retail space is yet to be decided. This is to make the area ready for a new shop after Card Factory moves out.
An existing flat roof area will be turned into a communal south-facing courtyard for residents.
Coney Street next
The High Ousegate scheme is part of a wider strategy by Helmsley Group to boost city centre home ownership through residential conversions across its portfolio.
This includes its Coney Street Riverside vision, as well as schemes on Spurriergate, King’s Square and Goodramgate.
Tom Riddolls, development surveyor at Helmsley Group, said: “We are pleased that City of York Council has approved our conversion plans for 24-25 High Ousegate and that they have been supported by influential groups including York Civic Trust.
“We look forward to bringing this much needed and unused space back to life, returning the property to its originally intended use for the first time in more than a century.”
Helmsley Group also expects its plans for the redevelopment of the Coney Street area of York to be determined in the coming weeks.
Max Reeves, director at Helmsley Group, added: “This is an exciting time for Helmsley Group, with several projects moving forward at pace. Our project at 24-25 High Ousegate is another strong demonstration of our strong track record in sensitively repurposing buildings of historical significance in York city centre.
“As a long-established York-based business we are passionate about the ongoing success of the city and through our Coney Street Riverside masterplan, alongside projects such as this, we continue to work collaboratively to ensure York is a great place to live, work and visit.”