Persimmon flats plans near York Barbican and StayCity back on

The 2.2 acre site, close to York Barbican and next to the StayCity aparthotel is across the road from the Bar Walls and has been disused since the former Barbican swimming pool and its car park shut in 2004.

Persimmon Homes Yorkshire originally planned to build 240 apartments on the former car park and an adjacent former bowling green but the scheme was mothballed because of the economic crisis, although the aparthotel got built on the portion of the site where the pool had been.

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Now the developer has been back on the site carrying out arboricultural assessments looking at the condition of any mature trees and Persimmon's planning manager, Graham Whiteford, said they are currently in talks with City of York Council over an application for between 180 and 200 one, two and three bed apartments. They would be set across between four and six storeys and at a height level with the adjacent StayCity buildings.

The site from the air (Image: Newsquest)

The site comprises two parcels of land, with the main area to the east of the Barbican and Staycity Aparthotel comprising approximately 2.14 acres, along with a smaller plot which fronts onto Fawcett Street to the south west of the Barbican Centre and comprising approximately 0.12 acres.

On this smaller site there are plans to build about ten apartments and a ground floor community centre, the freehold of which would be handed over to the council or a community group for their eventual use.

On the larger site there will be a public open space between the aparthotel and the new apartment buildings which would face out on to Paragon Street, Barbican Road and Kent Street respectively.

The new homes would be across the road from the Bar Walls (Image: Haydn Lewis)

The developer is hopeful that final plans will be submitted to the council by July this year.

Mr Whiteford said: "The next stage will be for an unexploded ordinances search to make sure that there's nothing underground to set off."

There could also be archaeological digs carried out before any work would take place.

Tree surveys are being carried out (Image: Haydn Lewis)

There have been previous digs on the site with a woman’s skeleton found on the Fawcett Street site believed to be that of Lady Isabel German, an ‘anchoress’ - or religious hermit - who spent her life shut away in a single room at the long-vanished All Saints Church in Fishergate in the 15th century.

A Persimmon Yorkshire spokesperson said: “We are now in the process of preparing a detailed planning application which seeks to be a sustainable development, built to a high design specification with low carbon heating.

“Our updated proposal will not only contribute towards the city achieving its housing targets - particularly the demand for one and two bedroom homes with an attainable price point - but will deliver a modern, contemporary piece of architecture congruous with the regeneration of the area.

“Ahead of a full formal application being submitted, engineers are now accessing the site to undertake drainage and ground checks. Ecological consultants will soon be accessing the site and surroundings to undertake ecological investigations. We will also seek to engage with the local community prior to formal submission.”