A CITY-CENTRE office block in York is to be turned into apartments.

York-based property and investment company the Skelwith Group has been given the green light to press ahead with plans to convert Roman House in Rougier Street into 46 flats after no objections were raised to its planning application to City of York Council.

Insurance giant Aviva vacated the offices, above bus stops and a newsagent, in September 2010, since when it has been empty.

Skelwith Group’s proposals include extra car parking on the ground floor, with the firm using “permitted development rights” introduced by the Government with the intention of speeding up residential schemes.

The group hopes to start work on the 35,000sq ft site early next year, and has said it will “revitalise” the building and its facade.

It bought the block after it was originally made available to sub-let but there was little interest in it being used for office space. Funding for the scheme is being provided by Grosvenor Financial Consultants, which also backed Skelwith Group’s project at Raithwaite Hall, a hotel near Whitby.