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York tearoom caught up in sign controversy reveals its new look

Sun 19 Jan, 2025 by YorkMix

The original signage. Photograph: YorkMix

Filed Under: Changing city, News

New signage for a popular York tea room has been revealed, which should draw a close to a controversial planning dispute. 

The Old York Tea Room is seeking planning permission for a proposed new frontage.

It follows the decision of City of York Council to insist their original hand-painted sign on the plasterwork should be removed.

The new, hand-painted sign would be created on a plywood board that’s hung above their front-facing bay window on Goodramgate. 

It reads ‘The Old York Tea Room’ in black traditional font against a white and gold background, paired with two teapots on either side.

It’s to replace their previous signage, which was painted on the building above the entrance. 

The changes follow a nine-month conflict with the council, which concluded in September last year.

This was after owners, Tony and Thomas Vickers, were denied retrospective planning permission to keep the sign, and their further appeal was also dismissed. 

The proposed new signage. Image: planning documents

This issue arose in 2023, after a complaint was made to the council alleging they had damaged a historic, Grade I listed building with the painting. 

The tea room is part of Lady Row, thought to be the oldest surviving timber-framed buildings in York. Built in about 1316, they are also England’s earliest example of houses with overhanging jetties, the upper floor wider than the lower.

Tony previously shared to YorkMix: “At the time, naively or not, we didn’t realise we’d need planning permission so we didn’t apply for it, we just went ahead and did the sign.

“A couple of months later a certain individual decided to do a one-man protest outside our building holding up a cardboard sign calling us vandals and went to the local press with it.

“He then got his friends on board and went to the council complaining about our signage saying that it was a detriment to York and we had damaged a historic building, which we believe is complete nonsense.

“In light of that, we put in a retrospective planning application in April.”

In November 2023, Becky Eades, head of development and planning services at City of York Council wrote to the pair refusing planning permission. They appealed against the refusal, but lost. 

Redevelopment underway

Co-owner of The Old York Tea Room, Tony Vickers. Photographs: Rachel Rogers

In the planning application for the new signage, Tony stated: “We have asked all our guests their ideas and thoughts around the signage along with other business owners on the street. 

“All have approved and are shocked that we must remove our current signage. They wholeheartedly support this move as the tea room must have a sign and this one is similar to others that have gone before.”

The new signage coincides with a redevelopment of the tea room. Tony and Thomas are giving the interior of the building a new look.

They plan to reopen on 1 February.

They’ve also updated the menu, welcoming new cakes and tasty treats to the ever-growing selection. 

They shared to their Facebook followers, “We will be sad to see our beautiful hand painted sign go but we are safe in the knowledge it has left a lasting legacy on this house. One we are so proud of.”


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