PLANS for a 102-bedroom hotel, restaurant and bar in York’s Walmgate have been submitted to City of York Council.

As revealed exclusively in The Press, York-based developers S Harrison Developments Ltd has teamed up with Sojourn Hotels LLP to create the three-storey hotel, bringing up to 40 permanent new jobs to the city.

The proposed development would be on the site of Infinity, a motorcycle clothing and accessory store, which would relocate to new premises.

In a design and access statement Matthew Parkins, of CSP Architects, said the proposed hotel would help to revitalise this area of the city.

He wrote: “This proposal has the potential to enliven the street, bringing vitality, activity, prosperity and added natural surveillance and security.

“The existing property does not relate well to its surroundings. This is therefore an opportunity to repair the townscape and address the shortcomings of the existing building.

“The site is well located, a short distance from the historic city centre, which is ideal for business customers and tourists.

“It is also close to the National Centre For Early Music, which requires accommodation for events, and recently completed student accommodation that is likely to generate demand from visiting parents and friends.”

Nearby residents gave a mixed reaction to the proposals at a public consultation event, held at the National Centre For Early Music in September.

Some welcomed the development, saying it would rejuvenate Walmgate and be good for tourism and businesses in the area.

But other residents voiced concerns about noise, both during construction and when the hotel opened, particularly in the evenings.

If permission is granted, construction work is expected to start in the spring and take about a year to complete.