A pizza restaurant has been proposed for a former York city centre  shoe shop.

Manchester-based Mission Mars Ltd has applied to create in the restaurant in the former Shoe Zone in High Ousegate.

The shop closed during the height of the pandemic and never re-opened, with Shoe Zone also having at Clifton Moor.

Plans submitted to City of York Council do not mention the brand by name, but Mission Mars operates Rudy’s Neapolitan Pizza and Albert’s Schloss Bier and Pleasure Palace.

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Rudy’s Pizza has branches across Greater Manchester, Leeds, London, plus others in Liverpool, Birmingham, Sheffield , Durham and Nottingham.

It promises authentic Neapolitan pizza made fresh daily on the premises. It takes 24 hours to double ferment and just 60 seconds to cook. There is also a cook at home offering, in addition to eat-in and take-away options.

The pizzas are hugely popular, typically receiving 4.5 stars on the review website TripAdvisor.

The planning application seeks a change of use for the 5-storey building at 5 High Ousegate that was erected in 1743.

The change of use would see the restaurant just on the ground floor of the former shoe shop, with a courtyard dining area created at the back.

York Press:

The Grade II-listed building, situated to Santander bank, covers some 209m2 on a 318ms site area.

The application notes the area has a variety of differing retail and dining uses, with High Ousegate “a popular route for pedestrians leading into the centre of York.”

“The proposal will introduce an active employment – generating use int the space, which is currently a vacant unit.”

It continued: “Access into the unit will be as existing, level and will also include the introduction of a ground floor disabled toilet facility.”

The application further notes the existence of historic buildings in the area, but notes: “The proposals maintain a design of high quality which is in keeping with the area. And will have no real impact on the elevations facing High Ousegate.”

“The proposal will result in a physical improvement to the site, which currently negatively affects the significance of the Conservation Areas and their setting with the unit lying empty for so long.”

The application also said: “The proposals will deliver public benefits by contributing to the aims and aspirations of the York City Centre neighbourhood business plan, by helping to increase footfall within the Ousegate area.

“Overall the proposals will have no detriment on the significance of the York City Centre Conservation area.”

However, minor changes, such as a new duct, will have a negative impact on the heritage of the building, it said.

The application also noted the site was more than 20m away from the River Ouse and outside the flood risk area.

No other details are given.

City of York Council has yet to determine the application.