‘Unviable’ York hotel set to become six houses, including ‘two grand family homes’

A York hotel which closed last year is set to be taken back in time.

The Mount Royale Hotel announced it was closing last April. It was ‘no longer viable’ due to the ‘hundreds of new hotel bedrooms that have been built in the city’, said the Oxtoby family who owned and ran it.

They sold it to property developers the Oakgate Group – who today (Wednesday) revealed its plans.

Oakgate wants to convert the historic buildings of the Mount Royale “back into two grand family homes, restoring them to their former glory and house names of Daresbury and Beech Villas”.

They were originally built as homes in 1834. The Oxtoby family bought 119 The Mount in 1967, converting it into the hotel, then expanded to include No 117 The Mount in 1978.

Oakgate’s planning application seeks a change of use and restoration of historical features to the Grade II listed building.

Its plans would see the demolition of the dilapidated modern extensions at the rear and side. Vehicle access would be relocated from The Mount, and the gardens landscaped.

Four more properties

Planning permission already exists for two new homes in the walled grounds of the hotel. The developers want to change that and create four semi-detached properties, made possible by removing the extensions and the clutter from the rear of the old hotel.

Managing director of Oakgate Richard France said: “It’s a challenge and great responsibility to be able to create a sustainable new future for these wonderful buildings, bringing them back to their former glory, and original use.

“The additional homes within the walled gardens off Albemarle Road have been designed to perfectly complement the existing villas and build on the two previous planning permissions to create high-quality environmentally friendly family homes in this wonderful location.”

Other Oakgate projects include the transformation of Stonebow House and a current planning application for the former Tramways WMC.