PLANS to create four holiday flats in a former trades union office in York have been refused by the city council.

Ray Ahmed sought to change the use of 75 Gillygate from offices, with changes including new windows.

Last year the council refused an application to convert the building into five holiday flats, noting issues such as loss of employment/ office space.

The building had been used by the GMB Trades Union until 2020, and with it remaining empty, the union sold it in 2022.

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Four holidays lets plan for above ex-GMB office in Gillygate

Assessing the application, council planning staff noted Guildhall Planning Panel saying the new application was little improvement on the earlier one.

“It is overdevelopment and inappropriate proposal for the site,” the panel added.

York Civic Trust said the building “is in poor condition and would benefit from a scheme of maintenance and refurbishment, and a viable use.”

But they ‘design concerns’ most notably over the proposed new windows.

Two objections raised issues including York needing long-term not short-term lets, saying they “bring an increase in noise, antisocial behaviour and more waste and pollution.”

In conclusion, council planners said the scheme would use office/employment space and the applicant could not show enough information it had marketed the site effectively. It would also cause some harm to the conservation area. Thus, refusal as recommended.