A stunning riverside restaurant could soon give a continental culture feel to York's Museum Gardens.

A brasserie and new entrance to the gardens, one of the city's most popular tourist destinations, will come before council chiefs in the coming months as part of a development for Lendal Tower proposed by The Helmsley Group.

Covering the conversion of the former 1836 engine house into a restaurant and a residential property, company chiefs say it will "create a unique mixed-use scheme close to Museum Gardens and the River Ouse in the city centre".

The plans are the second and final stage of the development of the tower, which was acquired by the Pocklington-based Helmsley Group nearly two years ago.

The firm has already received planning permission for phase one, and is currently transforming Lendal Tower into a £1 million luxury heritage home and Lendal Hill House into two family houses with private gardens.

If agreed, Helmsley will then work with York architects Crease Strickland Parkin, to prepare a detailed planning application that will see the conversion of the former engine house into a three bedroom home and an up market restaurant with original Victorian arched-windows and west facing deck area, overlooking the river.

There are also plans to provide a new entrance and new gates to Museum Gardens from the river walkway.

Ian McAndrew, associate director at The Helmsley Group, said: "We have worked closely with City of York Council, English Heritage and the York Museums Trust for more than 18 months now, in respect of the development of these listed buildings, which are in an important area of the city that requires investment for its future sustainability.

"When the planning committee gave planning consent for phase one, we gave our commitment to work closely with the planning and conservation officers and other relevant parties to explore the principle of a restaurant and the creation of an overall mixed-use development.

"We are pleased to have now reached the position of being able to submit our initial proposals for such a development, but we are aware that there is a great deal of detail to finalise and the submission of this application is just one step in order to establish the principle before other required consents can be sought."

Janet Barnes, chief executive at the York Museums Trust, said: "We believe that by working together with The Helmsley Group, we can create a scheme that will be a real benefit to the city. It will enhance the Museum Gardens (St Mary's Abbey Precinct), together with the surrounding area, including the Esplanade."

Updated: 09:47 Wednesday, March 29, 2006