Developers eyeing up York as wine bar city

UP to 10 major new drinking establishments could open in York's historic heart.Some of the city centre's largest empty buildings are being lined up as potential wine bars and pubs.Licensing officers at York police say they fear a glut of applications and are now deciding whether they can object to them all in the light of the granting of a license to the Slug and Lettuce for their new operation in Swinegate.Some of the sites which could soon be pubs are the old Barclays Bank building in St Helen's Square; Lloyds Bank, Lendal; York College for Girls, Petergate; the Elim Church, Swinegate; the Wax Museum, Friargate; and McCoy's, Queen's Staith. Plans have been submitted for the Lloyds Bank site but most of the others are at an early stage of development."These are some applications we may receive," said PC Alan Sunderland, licensing officer in York."We will look at each application on its merits and after the granting of the Slug and Lettuce in Swinegate we are reviewing our policy in connection with new applications."York College For Girls was bought in January for an undisclosed sum by Newcastle-based firm Sir John Fitzgerald Group. The Fitzgerald Group runs several upmarket bars in the Newcastle area.J D Wetherspoon last year lost an appeal to build a £1.3 million "superpub" at the old Poundstretcher site in Low Ousegate but may to try and get another site in the city, said Mr Sunderland. He added there have also been inquiries about the availability of the old Museum of Automata, Tower Street, and the old Grunts Restaurant, Clifford Street.Barclays Bank say a deal is imminent for their St Helen's Square building but refused to comment on rumours of a £3 million sale to an entrepreneur who will open another wine bar.Only last week the head of York police issued a stern warning to breweries and pub chains that he would take a tough line on drink related violence in York.Superintendent Jim Kilmartin also called on licensing magistrates to formulate a revised policy in relation to new applications saying the licensed trade sees York as "a honey pot for development"."Caf bars, street pavement cafes and late-night entertainment, if increased, could leave an inheritance of licensed outlets which can change appearance over the years," said Supt Kilmartin."This has already been reflected in the Micklegate area, where small 'traditional alehouses' have become super pubs and the all-day trade has ceased and night-time trade for the drinking fraternity has become the norm."Meanwhile the Government is reported to be looking at several schemes pioneered and developed in York to help crack down on drunken behaviour throughout Britain.York licensing officer Arthur Swaine is now a member of the Association of Chief Police Officer's Liquor and Licensing Committee which has the ear of Home Secretary Jack Straw.The committee has heard from PC Swaine about York's pioneering work using the 100-year-old Inebriates Act which allows complete alcohol bans on persistent drunken offenders.The Government is also reported to be considering forcing the introduction of toughened glasses to cut down on the use of broken glasses as weapons. This is one of the things York police want to make compulsory in the city by the turn of the century.