PLANS have emerged to build eight new homes behind a York social club which is due to close early this year.

Developers have applied to City of York Council for permission to create eight new homes- seven houses and one maisonettes, behind the Post Office Social Club on Marygate.

The club itself announced its closure in October this year, and is due to close its doors for good in early this year.

Developers have already applied for permission to convert the social club and a flat above into two houses, but now an application prepared by the same architects sets out a bigger scheme to redevelop land behind the club.

They want to demolish a single storey function room behind the club, which they say is of "no architectural value", and in its place build a terrace of four houses, while converting a warehouse at the back of the plot into another two new homes.

The eight new homes would consist of two four-bedroomed houses, three three-bedroomed, two two-bedroomed, and one two-bedroomed maisonette - with access coming through an archway underneath 26 Marygate.

In a design and access statement prepared for the plans Gaby Higgs Architects say their plans are "highly accessible and sustainable", but objections have already been lodged by some neighbours unhappy about the impact on the Conservation Area, and the new buildings blocking light and views from their homes.

When the social club announced its closure in October last year, trustees said the decision was a reflection of changing habits and leisure interests, cheap supermarket drinks and the “stay at home culture”. Trustees said while the club's core of loyal supporters was ageing it had seen little interest from younger generations.