A MAJOR redevelopment plan for York’s historic Guildhall complex will go before planners again this week.

The plan to create a business centre, offices, cafe and restaurant in the former City of York Council offices has already faced several delays, and on Thursday the scheme is scheduled for a planning meeting when councillors are being urged to approve it.

In the last month, architects have revised new buildings planned for the site, and although the city council’s planning department are giving those revisions their backing there is still opposition from some heritage experts.

York Conservation Trust own the neighbouring buildings at 14 Lendal - the old Robson and Cooper shop - and are warning that planned new extensions to the north of the site would not fit with the surrounding listed buildings, and would overwhelm the flats being created in their building.

In letters to the planners, the trust’s own architect has warned that going ahead with the Guildhall plans could seriously damage the trust’s chances of reusing 14 Lendal, and could cost them dearly by ruining those hopes.

Guy Bowyer, from the trust, has told planners that while they are relieved to see the north extension reduced in size, the revisions have not gone far enough and the roof line of the new building is still higher than that proposed in pre-application meetings.

The trust cannot understand why designers have not looked for a solution without the troublesome “accent roof element”, he wrote, and fears the proposed new restaurant buildings will damage the privacy of the new homes in 14 Lendal, take away views and block daylight, and will intensify noise by making the busy beer garden of The Graduate pub more enclosed.

Together, these problems could threaten the viability of the residential plans for the historic shop building - something the trust can ill-afford.

Historic England has backed the revised plans, and council planners are recommending that approval be given at the committee meeting this week.

In their official report, the planners say the changed plans would not harm the residential amenity of the flats at 14 Lendal, and any damage to the historic surroundings would be outweighed by the benefit of having an economically viable use for the buildings, and opening up public access to the riverside.

The council moved out of the Guildhall offices in 2012, and they have been largely unused since. The new development will keep the medieval Guildhall and the Victorian council chamber open for civic use, and in November the West Yorkshire Combined Authority confirmed a £2.35 million grant towards the Guildhall project.