Plans to convert the vacant upper floors of a York building into flats will help to secure the long-term future of a historic area, applicants have said.
An application to refurbish the building on the corner of Kings Square and St Andrewgate and turn them into four flats has been lodged with City of York Council.
Helmsley Securities’ plans stated the conversion would enhance a vacant building and the area around it through the creation of contemporary living spaces in a well-connected location.
The flats would be above the Café Nero on the corner of Kings Square and St Andrewgate.
Plans for the flats, dubbed Bedern Lofts, include creating a new dedicated entrance to them at street level in St Andrewgate.
The refurbished upper floors are set to feature a new staircase, window openings and heating upgrades.
One one-bedroom, one two-bedroom and two three-bedroom apartments are set to be built as part of the conversion.
Extensions of the original lift shaft are also planned to provide views of the Minster.
St Andrewgate was first recorded in 1200, likely taking its name from the nearby St Andrew’s Church.
The current St Andrew’s Evangelical Church building dates to the 14th Century.
The street was also historically home to a religious hospital, metalworks and workshops between the 1300s and 1500s and York’s first police station built in the 1820s.
A drill house for the York Rifle Volunteers was built in 1872.
A number of its 17th and 18th Century buildings were demolished in the 1960s and 1970s as part of the redevelopment of the area.
Homes have since been built around the street’s surviving historic buildings, according to planning documents.
Plans stated: “The ultimate aim of the project is to secure St Andrewgate for the future by re-using and enhancing the vacant building through the creation of contemporary living spaces in a sustainable, well-connected location.”
