AMBITIOUS plans for a new Roman Quarter in York may finally be approved by councillors next week.

A decision on whether to approve the scheme was adjourned mid-way through a meeting of the City of York Planning Committee due to news of the death of Queen Elizabeth.

Councillors, members of the public and the developers had spent around two hours discussing the proposal before Her Majesty's death was announced at 6.30pm on Thursday September 8.

The proposal returns to planning committee A at 4.30pm on Wednesday October 5.

The agenda said: “This application shall be considered from the point at which the meeting adjourned on 8 September 2022 at 18:44 with questions from the Committee to the Applicant. Please note that this report remains unchanged from the report published for the meeting on 8 September 2022.”

The Roman Quarter project concerns a new, underground Roman museum – Eboracum – along with an 88-room aparthotel, 153 new apartments and new office space in Rougier Street.

Council officers recommend the scheme be approved, saying harm to archaeological deposits expected from the scheme will be outweighed by “substantial public benefits”.

The application, by Rougier Street Developments and York Archaeological Trust (YAT) is a revision of one rejected by councillors in early 2021.

Historical groups are split over the scheme and just 6 of 51 representations to the council are against.

The attraction expects to bring around 500,000 visitors to York every year once open, creating 50 new jobs and boosting the visitor economy by approximately £21 million.