Thousands of people each month enjoy the beautifully appointed surroundings of Bettys Café Tearooms in York.
But while the café itself looks spick and span, much of the rest of the building needs some TLC.
That’s the message from a planning application which sets out big changes to the upper floors of the St Helen’s Square icon – and a proposal to install solar panels on its roof.
Bettys has been serving the York public from this venue since 1937, a year after Swiss confectioner and Bettys founder Frederick Belmont purchased the property.
The new project involves the refurbishment of the second and third-floor staff and back-of-house areas at the Grade II listed building
This would include a new shower room for staff who walk and cycle to work, improved changing rooms, a dedicated meeting space, and improvements to the staff canteen and servery.
“It is felt that the design proposals are in keeping with the building’s listed status,” planning documents state.
“This includes ensuring minimal disruption to original structures and features, such as cornices, paneling, timber work and windows.”
The staff canteen, office and shop store are on the second floor in the former Bettys ballroom.
There will also be solar panels “installed on the rear flat roof of the building, at a slight angle to maximise exposure to sunlight, allowing for more renewable energy to be generated.
“The panels therefore will not be visible from street level.”
There will also be PV slates installed which look like normal roof tiles but also generate solar power.
“Installing PV panels to the roof can significantly reduce operational carbon emissions and energy costs, supporting the city’s 2030 net-zero target while improving the building’s long-term viability,” the documents say.
You can read and comment on the planning application here.
