A NEW restaurant could be on the way to York's shortest street, while another popular eatery is bidding to extend its city-centre venue.

Owners of 5 Whip-Ma-Whop-Ma-Gate have applied for planning permission to convert the building into a restaurant, and at the same time the owners of The Rattle Owl on Micklegate want to extend their restaurant to accommodate more diners.

The Whip-Ma-Whop-Ma-Gate building is currently home to Mali unisex hair salon, and owner Mehmet Simsek said if he got planning permission and decided to press ahead with the restaurant conversion he would aim to relocate the hair business to a new home nearby.

Application documents show the plans are for a two storey restaurant in the neighbouring buildings of 5 Whip-Ma-Whop-Ma-Gate and 14 Colliergate.

The buildings would be completed refitted internally to create the kitchen facilities and customer toilets the restaurant would need, as well as a rooftop terrace and outdoor seating area.

If it goes ahead, the new restaurant would join a number of other new eateries in the area, including the planned Cosy Club restaurant on nearby Fossgate - also in a newly converted shop building.

On Micklegate, The Rattle Owl - which opened in 2015 - is bidding for the extension into the rear yard, to create additional seating in the popular restaurant. Planning documents show the extension could house around six more diners.

No new access arrangements are planned for the restaurant or kitchen via the rear yard which backs on to Toft Green.