ONE of York's less characterful corners could be given a facelift under new proposals.

Developers are planning a revamp for an early 1950s shops block in one of the city's most popular tourist shopping streets.

City planners are considering the scheme for a massive extension to the block housing nine shops in Spurriergate at its junction with High Ousegate.

The plans envisage shifting forward by about six feet the entire frontage of set-back shops opposite the Spurriergate Centre, converting two storeys into four, reducing the nine shop units to five and including 13 flats where none existed before.

Already the landlord, Equitable Life Assurance Society, which submitted the planning application, has begun talks with the existing tenants. These include fashion store Gap, jewellery stores Fraser Hart and H Samuels, Optical Express, Phones 4U, computer software store Game, Birthdays card shop and in High Ousegate, William Hill bookmakers.

The project means that the group of shops will line up with the frontage of nearby NatWest Bank and at the back, will extend the group of buildings over a service yard in Peter Lane. By the time the work is completed the 11,000 sq ft will have been converted to 21,000 sq ft.

Project designer, Chris Jones, who is the regional director of architects Chetwood Associates of Leeds, said: "We are still in discussion with planning officials at the City of York Council, which are going pretty well and we are confident the scheme will be put to the planning committee next month. Given consent, we anticipate starting in 18 months and finishing in a further 18 months."

He said that he had worked hard to overcome planners' objections about the elevation of the revamped building and had made changes. "The development aims to recreate and enhance the fundamental character of the streetscape - the 'chasm effect' so common in York, with narrowness of street and tallness of buildings.

"The existing building is extremely horizontal and we want to emphasise verticality."

He said that the leases on shops there were of varying length, but all tenants were aware of the proposal and negotiations were continuing between them and Equitable Life.

Cliff Carruthers, head of development for the city council, said: "We are still talking to them about the scale of elevation, appearance and detailed designs."

Updated: 10:48 Saturday, April 07, 2001