PROPOSALS for 50,000 sq ft of riverside offices within York city centre have been lodged with council planners.

Developers Gray's Wharf Limited have applied for planning consent for two commercial buildings in Navigation Road, backing on to Wormald's Cut, the boat basin of the River Foss.

One building will be of four storeys and the other five, with a basement car park for 87 cars. More than 250 jobs are likely to be created.

If planning consent is secured, the development is likely to commence later this year, with completion anticipated for early 2006.

David Withey, of Briggs Burley, the developers' commercial letting agents in New Street, said: "It is a wonderfully refreshing change to see a developer in the city centre providing an employment opportunity as opposed to another flat development, on what was previously employment land.

"This will be a golden opportunity for major employers to locate in the city centre, away from the traffic congestion of the northern bypass, and with reasonably speedy access to the development by public transport or by car from the southern bypass via Hull Road."

The site is currently occupied by Grays Newsagents, a distribution centre for newspapers and magazines, which will relocate to an alternative site in James Street.

Darrell Buttery, chairman of York Civic Trust, told the Evening Press he had yet to view the plans, but said: "We are alarmed by the scale of development in the city and it really is 'reach for the skies' these days."

Mr Buttery said a recent report by a government planning inspector said policy encouraged development on existing brownfield sites, but this should not be at the expense of environment quality.

"To the Civic Trust this is an important caution," he said.

Updated: 08:35 Monday, April 26, 2004