A former York restaurant could have a very different future ahead of it.
Luigi’s restaurant in Upper Poppleton has been sold for £900,000, following the owner’s decision to retire after 17 years.
Sitting on a 0.4-acre site on Northfield Lane, the closed Italian restaurant has been acquired by Michael Askew of Monitor Computer Systems, York.
He wants to redevelop the site, and convert the restaurant into a chapel for members of the Hope Centre, whose temporary home is Acomb Parish Hall.
However a planning application to do just that was refused by City of York Council last month.
They said the proposal to turn the restaurant into a place of worship was “unsustainable” and “difficult to access by means other than the car”.
A report to the council said the church would require 82 to 100 parking spaces “which would result in significant overspill on to Northfield Lane in particular.
“Northfield Lane provides access into the Northminster Business Park which can include heavy goods vehicles and directly adjacent to the site is a specialist equine veterinary clinic which requires 24 hour access.”
As a result, the proposal “would result in cumulative impacts detrimental to highway safety”.
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Nevertheless, the sale of the restaurant for conversion is part of a wider trend in York.
Sam Ashton, senior business agent at Christie & Co who handled the sale said: “A freehold property with a York postcode was always going to experience high interest.
“We’re now seeing just as much interest in sites which offer redevelopment potential as hospitality going-concern businesses.
“Achieving £900,000 for the property is a fantastic result and I wish both parties all the best for the future.”