THE owners of a luxury York hotel with its sights set on five-star status are aiming to expand their facilities ahead of crucial visits from inspectors.

The £20 million Cedar Court Grand Hotel opened in May on the site of the listed former British Rail headquarters in Station Rise.

Experts are now set to assess its operation over the next few months and decide whether it should receive the prestigious accreditation.

Plans have now been drawn up for a temporary marquee on the garden terrace deck in the hotel’s rear yard to allow it to cater for larger celebrations and functions for the next three years while funding is found for a permanent replacement.

If approved by City of York Council, the structure would boast views of the Bar Walls, be decorated with trees and shrubs and become available for use between June and September and from the start of December until January 8 each year.

“Functions and private parties are catered for in the original boardroom, which has been fully refurbished,” said Cedar Court’s planning agents, O’Neill Associates, in a statement submitted to the council.

“However, the capacity is limited to 110 and the hotel operators are receiving a considerable amount of interest to use its facilities where the number of attendees would exceed this figure, including weddings, dinner dances, charity dinners, exhibitions and conferences.”

The statement said a permanent structure was planned “in the long-term”, but added: “There is a need to generate the income to help fund such a development.

“As the first hotel to provide five-star standards of service and accommodation in York, Cedar Court makes a very important contribution to the city’s tourist economy, attracts high-spend guests and raises the standards for hotel accommodation in the city.

“Cedar Court is attracting interest from companies and organisations which have not previously held events and functions in York but are now keen to do so. The number of people who would attend these functions would exceed the bedroom capacity of Cedar Court, so there would be spin-off trade for other hotels.”

Tourism body Visit York has backed the application while English Heritage has raised no objections as long as the marquee’s lifespan is limited.