Fresh plans to turn a pub into apartments have been submitted – despite a previous scheme being reject by both City of York Council and a government inspector.
Developer Tri-Core wants to convert The Jubilee in Balfour Street, near Leeman Road, into four apartments, keeping a smaller pub and function room on the ground floor.
But neighbours claim the designs are “no different” to the previous application. That one was turned down by the council and then the planning inspectorate when the developers appealed the council’s decision.
Campaigners have already objected to the fresh planning application. One said: “We are just going round in circles with this, why is he allowed to even put [in] another application when he has lost all the recent applications?”
Another said: “This application is no different to the one previously submitted which had many objections, and was rejected by council and government.
“A full size pub would guarantee community spirit. Flats would not.”
Valued community space
Ward councillor Kallum Taylor added: “This latest application is very similar to the one rejected by CYC and then the government at the appeal stage, last year, and concerns around the viability of the much-reduced pub still stand.
“What also still stands is the strong will of the community and others to make a success of The Jubilee as a valued community space, and only when they’ve been given a fair chance to ‘walk the walk’, and then only if that fails, should a change of use be approved.”
But a statement from the developer says: “The previous scheme was only dismissed at appeal due to the loss of the function room and no other matters.
“The proposals now submitted fully address the matters outstanding in that appeal decision.
“The site has been marketed extensively as a public house but has been unable to secure a viable occupier. ”
Previous plans included a smaller pub, function room, kitchen and lobby on the ground floor, with flats on the first and second floors. The current plans keep the same layout – but get rid of plans for a pub kitchen to make way for another function room.
A planning inspector working on behalf of the Secretary of State rejected the previous scheme – saying the pub could become a “focal point” for the community and that it would be an “unacceptable loss” to the area.
View the application here.