PLANS by insurance firm Hiscox to build its new £19 million offices in York were unanimously approved last night.

Councillors on City of York Council’s planning committee gave the official green light for the development in Hungate which will become the global company’s new flagship office.

Hiscox is expecting to create 500 jobs in the city.

After hearing York Civic Trust give its support to application at the meeting, which it described as a “work of art”, councillors were also fulsome in their praise for the design of the building, describing it as “beautiful” and “imaginative” and one that “York will be proud of”.

Alongside approving the full application for the office development, councillors passed a request for outline planning permission for a neighbouring development, next to the Black Swan pub, which will either include offices with groundfloor retail or leisure use, or a five-storey hotel with between 80 and 100 bedrooms.

Work on the scheme, which is due to start next year, will see the transformation of the site which previously housed the Haymarket car park, York’s ambulance station and the Peasholme Centre homeless hostel.

Construction is expected to be finished in 2015.