A NEW £10 million riverside aparthotel is being proposed for York, adding 109 new rooms to the city's tourism market and creating 20 jobs.

Plans have been submitted to City of York Council for a five-storey, four-star hotel at the site of the former Parkside Commercial Centre, in Terry Avenue.

If approved the project will deliver the the second large aparthotel in York, the first of which is a 197-apartment Staycity complex currently under construction next to the Barbican.

The latest plans have been submitted by Yorkshire-based aparthotel group Roomzzz, which has sites in Leeds, Manchester, Newcastle, Nottingham and Chester, and is pledging to invest £10 million in the York proposals.

The site, which neighbours Lower Ebor Street, Terry Avenue and Rowntree Park Caravan Club, was originally envisaged as a potential housing development after its role as a start-up base for new firms switched to the York Eco Business Centre at Clifton Moor in 2008, but flooding fears scuppered that plan.

An application was later submitted and subsequently withdrawn for a four storey office building.

In the latest application, planning agent Park Lane Properties, acting on behalf of Roomzzz, said: "The proposed aparthotel business model is not the same as a hotel.

"Roomzzz guests are typically professionals and in some cases international guests looking for a longer stay than a hotel can reasonably offer.

"It is anticipated that the proposed aparthotel will be used in particular by business visitors to York who need to visit the city for a number of days and therefore require convenient accommodation.

"Unlike conventional hotels there is no restaurant or bar area and other ancillary facilities are very limited with a small gym on the ground floor and no other leisure offer within the aparthotel.

"It is likely that many visitors, particularly any leisure visitors will visit restaurants and bars in York for food and social entertainment. The operator perceives it primarily as a working hotel, there to help serve the needs of York and add to its overall offer helping to grow the economy of York."

Subject to planning approval, Roomzzz said it hopes to have the L-shaped aparthotel open by the end of 2016, offering apartments featuring living and sleeping areas with a small kitchenette.

Mark Walton, head of Roomzzz, said: "York is a vibrant destination city with lots going on which fits perfectly into the Roomzzz family.

"Riverside locations like this come up once in a million so we were sold on the site as soon as we saw it."

Agents from Park Lane Properties claim the proposals fit York's latest hotel strategy report, which called for for more “high quality” accommodation in York, stating the need to increase visitor spend rather than increase the volume of visitors.

Park Lane Properties agents said: "The new aparthotel represents a new kind of hotel for the city, providing high quality four-star boutique style accommodation with the benefit of in room facilities associated with a serviced apartment that encourage longer stays attractive to both the business and leisure tourist sectors which is compliant with the conclusions and recommendations of the York Accommodation Study and tourism strategy."

The plans include a raised ground floor to mitigate flooding concerns, and undercroft parking for 21 vehicles.

A number of objections have been lodged by neighbouring residents, expressing concerns over noise, traffic problems, spoilt views and blocking light.

The plans are due to be determined by January next year.