A NEW brasserie, bar and coffee house in York's former Army & Navy Stores has today been approved, despite local residents' objections.

The 170-capacity business at the top of Fossgate will offer a range of foods and drinks, said applicant Richard Beal.

He said it would be significantly different from existing drinking venues in the street such as The Terrace and The Hop, as people would be encouraged to eat as well as drink, with high quality food on sale, and said the company was socially responsible and wanted to be part of the community.

Local residents Alison Richardson and Andy Dorse had claimed the venue would add to problems of noise and antisocial behaviour, which they said were in danger of turning the street into a 'second Micklegate.'

They said the noise from the street, including customers outside new pub The Hop, could already be heard from the living room of their flat in Fossgate, and the size and popularity of the pub had had a major impact on the general atmosphere in the street.

They feared people would end up congregating in the street all the way from the Blue Bell pub up to Pavement.

Mr Beal said: "The bar/brasserie will inevitably bring more people to Fossgate. However, I firmly believe this will be a positive step forwards in the evolution of the street. It will not be a city-centre circuit pub. The building needs to be developed soon to prevent further decay and damage."

He said he intended to live above the premises, and it was in his interests that the business did not intrude on residents or other businesses.

Coun Barbara Boyce, chairman of City of York Council's licensing committee, said she was satisfied that the 'very strict' conditions attached to the premises licence being granted by the committee would address residents' concerns and if they weren't adhered to, the licence could be reviewed and come back to the committee.

The Army & Navy Stores, which had been operating in York since 1919, was put up for sale in 2012 due to the owners' retirement.

Tougher rules on new pubs and bars were recently extended to new areas including Fossgate after police said the city could not take any more licensed premises.