Plans to convert an historic York building into an independent bookshop have been backed despite council officers calling for their refusal on heritage grounds.
Topping and Company Bookseller’s bid to convert the vacant Museum Street building was approved by City of York Council’s planning committee yesterday (Tuesday).
Company founder Robert Topping told councillors the York store would be the largest independent bookshop opened in the country in living memory, creating around 30 jobs.
Approval of the plans comes after the recommendation from council planning officers made over concerns that the installation of a mezzanine floor would damage the fabric of the building.
The Grade II-listed building, on the corner of Museum Street and Blake Street, was constructed in 1860 and originally housed the headquarters of York’s Poor Law Union.
It later served as a tourist information centre but it has stood empty since Visit York moved out four years ago.
The conversion is set to see works creating space for around 75,000 books.
Topping and Company, which also has stores in Bath, Edinburgh, Ely and St Andrews, stated on its website that it planned to open the store in autumn 2025.
Events are already scheduled to take place in the store.
Council officers stated in a report detailing their reasons for recommending refusal that the mezzanine floor would erode evidence of the building’s original layout.
They added the public benefits of allowing the conversion to go ahead would not outweigh the harm done to the historic building.
But the plans were backed by York’s Civic and Conservation trusts and several public comments were also lodged in support.
Speaking ahead of Tuesday’s meeting, Conservative Cllr Michael Nicholls said blocking the plans would be a new level of bonkers for the council.
Mr Topping told the committee his son Hugh planned to move to York to run the store for the family business.
He added that not having the mezzanine floor would halve the store’s children, teenage and young adults section by removing space for about 8,000 books.
The company’s founder said: “Wall space is a key factor for us, we often keep books for years if we believe in them.”
Labour’s Cllr Rachel Melly, whose Guildhall ward includes the building, told councillors the company had a track record of creating beautifully-designed bookshops in historic settings.
She added after the meeting that she had called in the plans so councillors could weigh up whether the concerns about the building outweighed the benefits.
Speaking during the meeting, Cllr Melly said: “Refusing this will only preserve the building as an empty derelict brick relic.”
Liberal Democrat committee member Cllr Christian Vassie said the conversion would provide a way for the building to continue to be used.
Cllr Vassie said: “If we can’t afford to run it then it falls into disrepair, then we berate ourselves and look for reasons why no one is giving us money to keep this building alive while it’s crumbling in front of us.”