THE De Grey Rooms in York are set to be renovated to become a “more attractive” events and wedding venue.

A planning application has been submitted for work on the entrance hall, toilets, cocktail room and ballroom as well as repairs to the roof.

Planning documents say the Grade II property, which is let to York Citizens’ Theatre Trust, has been “heavily marketed” as a venue for events and weddings but without much success.

The application says: “Since launching a marketing campaign to host more weddings and events at De Grey Rooms, the venue has attracted a significant amount of attention. Disappointingly, this has not resulted in a good conversion rate of confirmed bookings. The entrance spaces at ground floor and WC’s have a very institutional feel which is very off-putting.”

Tom Bird, the theatre’s executive director, said the plan is to make the historic building more attractive for all sorts of events.

He added: “This is really exciting for us. The De Grey Rooms are a stunning and really unique building and we are proud to have them as part of the theatre site.”

The plans include upgrades to the entrance hall and landings, toilets, cocktail room and ballroom.

The £75,000 internal works will be carried out by York Citizens’ Theatre Trust - the body that runs the Theatre Royal - while the £55,000 repair work on the roofs will be completed by building owners York Conservation Trust. The whole project should be finished by the early summer.

A design and heritage statement says that in the entrance hall, work will be done to restore as much of the building’s 19th century aesthetic as possible, while in the cocktail salon a “bespoke” new bar will be installed and the room completely redecorated. The ballroom will also be given a revamp and the bathrooms on the ground and first floor refitted.

Planning documents say: “The internal project seeks to address detracting features of the interior by replacing inappropriate installations from the mid to late 20th century with more sensitive fixtures. This is required to enhance the appeal of De Grey Rooms as a venue. It is hoped this will bring a marked increase in bookings and the associated income.”

The De Grey Rooms were built in 1841-1842 for the Earl De Grey and as a mess for the Yorkshire Hussars Regiment. It was designed by George Townsend Andrews at about the same time he was working on York Railway Station.