A MAJOR gym could open in York city centre at Stonebow House.

A planning application has been submitted to City of York Council for a change of use to allow for a ‘leisure and assembly’ use in the ground floor area of the building in Stonebow. [See the application here]

Developers Oakgate Group plc said the application followed advanced discussions it was having with a leading gym operator, which was ‘very interested’ in taking up to 8,000 sq ft of space.

Oakgate managing director Richard France said: “We feel this would be a great additional facility in the city centre and will be of the highest quality.

“There has also been significant interest in the remaining commercial space and we expect to be able to announce all the occupiers shortly.”

Nathaniel Lichfield & Partners, writing to the council on behalf of Oakgate, said the proposed change of use followed the approval last year of residential development on higher levels and flexible retail, food and drink uses within the ground floor and below ground units.

York Press:

Developers' vision for how a redeveloped Stonebow House complex may look

It said no additional internal or external alterations were needed in the complex which would require planning permission.

The council’s executive agreed last October to sell the “run down” Stonebow building for £750,000 to Oakgate, saying the “splendid” deal would regenerate the area as well as bringing in important revenue for the authority.

Cllr Ian Gillies said the building was a “blot on the landscape”, adding: “It’s going to bring the area back to life.”

Oakgate said then that it planned to start work on Stonebow House this month and the overhaul would be finished by this October.

York Press:

Members of the planning committee overwhelmingly backed the proposals last year, and council leader David Carr said he fully supported the new designs as a distinct improvement on the current state of the building and said the planned apartments would provide much needed additional housing for York.

Guildhall ward councillor Denise Craghill suggested several conditions should be imposed - over how late any future restaurant operator could serve people at tables and chairs outside, and over what proportion of the commercial units could be made into pubs or bars.

However, fellow members disagreed, saying the investor’s hands should not be tied.

Last summer, the Twentieth Century Society argued that the building should not be radically altered as it was the only example of ‘Brutalist’ architecture in York city centre.

It said attitudes toward this style of architecture were rapidly changing.