A new hotel will be built on Micklegate – after planners approved a third, smaller version.
The development will see the former Jinnah Restaurant, Minster Car and van Hire and Bar 127 buildings demolished to make way for a 62-bed hotel.
North Star brought a third design before City of York Council after the first two proposals were heavily criticised.
Both Historic England and York Civic Trust said the changes did not go far enough – but the application was approved by one vote at the council’s planning committee.
A spokesperson for North Star said: “It’s great news that the planning committee recognised the benefits that these plans will bring and approved our application.
“The new building will replace a detractor on this magnificent street and vastly improve the streetscene and local environment, as well as representing a major investment in York city centre.”
One vote in it
North Star’s first plan, in spring 2019, was for a 146-bedroom hotel but that design was criticised as too high, inappropriate and insensitive. And there were fears about the impact of basements on the archaeology of the 1,000-year-old Holy Trinity Priory site.
The company abandoned that plan last Christmas and submitted plans for a “modern medieval” building, with 65 rooms instead of 146 and no basement. That design has also proved unpopular with conservation groups, and the third design was drawn up during lockdown.
The scheme was given the go-ahead by the planning committee – with five councillors voting to reject the project and six to approve it.
Cllr Tony Fisher said: “You are always in difficulty with a site like this. If you go too traditional [in design] it’s pastiche, if you go too radical it harms the heritage assets.
“I think this feels just on the right side now.”
Additional reporting: Chloe Laversuch, local democracy reporter