THE lease is up for transfer on one of the largest shops in the heart of York's shopping district.

JD Sports is offering its Coney Street premises on the commercial property market for a rent of £167,500.

The lease on the store, which has almost as much floor space as York fashion store Mango - its neighbour-but-one - is not due to expire until March 2024.

Whoever takes over the premises must be prepared to pay £167,500 per annum, plus £27,852 in rates.

The JD Sports Group was hoping to keep the move under wraps in order not to cause concern to staff, but details have been revealed on the internet.

The move comes at a time when parent company John David Group announced it had acquired rival retailer Allsports from administrators for £18 million.

John David Group is expecting to keep 111 Allsports stores and retain an option on another 67.

The premises of the Allsports branch in Coney Street along with its neighbouring shop, now used under licence by The Natural World, are also being offered on sub-leases, each for a minimum 15 years, by agents SGP Property Consultants, of Leicester.

Tom Dymond of SGP, who reported expressions of interest in the Coney Street premises, for both the individual shops and for the two combined, said having inherited the lease, JD Sports "have not yet made up their minds what to do with it".

Nigel Keene, JD Sports property manager, said: "We have just bought a number of Allsports stores, which means that we have to look at the portfolio.

"Where we put a unit on the market we try to do so without the staff being aware, so that they are not caused concern.

"The details have been circulating, but only through the property industry. Our portfolio is regularly under review and sometimes we test the market."

The lease transfer offer on the JD Sports premises is on the web, with a detailed map and data, including name and phone number of the agents Churston Heard of London.

Updated: 11:53 Tuesday, January 24, 2006