9 houses, 5 flats and a restaurant planned on site of old York fire station - with photos

Bishopthorpe-based dc-architecture, who have worked on Emperor's Wharf and Lady Anne Court, both on Skeldergate, as well as a development in St Martin's Lane off Micklegate, have drawn up plans for a landmark new building on the fire station site in Clifford Street.

The plan would see the existing buildings torn down to be replaced by nine four-bedroomed town houses running down Peckitt Street and along the river front, and a five-storey building containing a restaurant and five apartments on Clifford Street.

The plan emerged just a day after City of York Council announced wide-reaching plans to kickstart the regeneration of the whole south side of the city-centre, around Clifford's Tower, Coppergate and Piccadilly.

John Reeves of the York-based Helmsley Group is one of the investors behind the venture and said: "This is an important site in York because of its proximity to the river and to Clifford's Tower. It needs very careful handling because there are some lovely buildings nearby."

In a heritage statement drawn up for the planning application, the architects refer to Clifford Street as "a Victorian set-piece of civic architecture". The fire station site is close to the Magistrates' Court and York Institute building, which now houses Kuda nightclub.

Current and proposed views from the foot of Clifford's Tower (above) and from the riverfront (below)

Mr Reeves added: "When you look at this site from the other side of the river you can see this part of York has a lot of towers - on things like Clifford's Tower and the law courts. We have deliberately designed this with towers to enhance the unusual skyline of York."

"I think the scheme we have is very interesting and we have deliberately gone down a route that makes it a little bit different to other schemes in York."

Current and proposed views from the top of Clifford's Tower (above) and from across the Ouse (below)

A planning application is now with City of York Council. Developers hope that if planning permission is granted in the first two months of 2016, construction could start straight away and would take around a year.

Parts of the site date back to the street's construction in the mid-nineteenth century - including a facade of the 1856 Trinity Chapel, which faces on to Peckitt Street - but none of the site is listed.