VISITORS to the former home of a York's chocolate dynasty could soon have more to see, under plans to bring the city's chocolate heritage to the fore.

The National Trust want to extend the visitor rooms at Goddards, the former home of the Terry family, to meet burgeoning demand from locals and tourists.

The Trust has submitted a planning application to City of York Council, asking for permission to convert some offices into more rooms for the visitor centre, and to extend the catering facilities at the property on Tadcaster Road.

A design and access statement prepared for the council's planning department says: "The overall proposal is to retain parts of Goddards for Office use, but extend more of the house to visitors and improve the catering facilities. The house will tell the story of the Terry family, through exhibits, audio tapes, videos and other displays, to bring alive the history of Goddards house, the Terry family and the chocolate industry in York."

A back-room shake up a the National Trust means that managers and consultants based at Goddards now spend more time travelling across the North of England, and in turn, more office space can be freed up for visitors and the celebrate the family's part in York's chocolate story, the planning documents show.

At the same time, the Trust's bosses want to create somewhere where old employees from the Terry's factory across the Knavesmire can leave their memories of working for the company.

"It is hoped that this will link it to the community heritage of the area and help to preserve the chocolate history of York," they add.

The papers also show how visitor numbers at the Grade I listed building have soared over recent years.

In 2011, when the gardens alone were open to the public, there were 5,608 visits in the year. By 2015/16, that number had grown to 24,500 visits.

If the plans are approved, one room currently used as an office will be turned over for visitors, while two others will be used to improve the catering facilities for visitors.