RIVAL coffee chains have been given mixed news by planners in their attempts to set up pavement cafes in the centre of York.

Proposals by Costa Coffee to start an outdoor area for customers at its new outlet in Museum Street have been turned down by City of York Council.

But its competitor Starbucks has won approval from the authority to continue operating a pavement café at its shop in one of the city’s busiest shopping zones, meaning it can now stay open for another three years.

Costa took over the Museum Street building following the closure of the Threshers Wine Merchants off-licence and is now looking to redevelop the site after gaining permission for the new shop earlier this month.

The chain’s plans include fitting a new door in Lendal to improve wheelchair access.

The company also wanted to place three tables and ten chairs outside the shop in Lendal, but planners rejected the proposal because they said it would not leave pedestrians with enough space to get past.

“The reduced width of the Lendal footway would be likely to force pedestrians into the adjacent carriageway, which represents a road safety hazard,” said a council report outlining the reasons for the refusal.

“This hazard would be particularly acute for vulnerable pedestrians such as people with pushchairs and the mobility and visually-impaired.”

Officers also said the pavement café would create unwanted street clutter and “fail to preserve the setting of the adjacent listed buildings”.

Meanwhile, Starbucks can now keep its own café, which sits on New Street and has eight tables and 32 chairs, running until August 2013.

It comes after the firm was told earlier this month that it must remove its kiosk at York Station, following a planning inspector’s ruling that it spoiled the character of the historic building.