A NEW lease of life could be on the cards for the historic building which once housed one of Selby’s oldest businesses.

Developers have submitted plans to transform the site of the former Whiskers greengrocers in the centre of the town, which has stood empty for almost seven years, into flats and shops.

The proposed scheme, drawn up by Leeds-based King Sturge, would focus on three listed properties in Gowthorpe and create 11 apartments on the upper floors and two shops on the ground floor. Planners at Selby District Council are expected to make a decision on the plans in November.

The fruit and vegetable store closed at the start of 2004 after more than a century of trading in the town, following the death of its co-owner Dave Whisker, a well-known Selby figure who worked in the area for decades, at the age of 46. King Sturge was originally granted planning permission to develop the site in 2007, which a design and access statement submitted by the company’s agents, DWA Architects, as part of the fresh application said could have paved the way for a top-name retailer to move into the buildings.

“Unfortunately, the credit crunch not only impacted badly on the retail market, but it also undermined confidence in the residential sector,” said the firm. “The applicant’s objective is to secure the economic re-use of the buildings.

“In conjunction with the district council and English Heritage, they have been exploring ways of enhancing the value of the project so the very high refurbishment costs associated with the development can be funded.”

They said the buildings had “suffered from both decay and insensitive alterations over the past decades”.