DEVELOPERS have drawn up plans to convert what’s left of a city centre convent site into flats and houses.

York-based firm Northminster have applied for planning permission to convert part of the old Poor Clare Colletines site on Lawrence Street into ten apartments, and put up four new houses on the.

The majority of the old convent - which went on the market in 2013 after the eight resident nuns said the site had become unmanageable -has already been converted in the Vita student village.

This application would see two remaining buildings on the north west corner of the site converted into nine one and two bedroomed apartments with four new one-bed houses built on what is currently gardens.

The buildings - the Lodge and the Extern House - are both Grade II listed.

A design and access statement prepared for the application shows the two-storey Lodge which faces onto Lawrence Street and was originally built as a priest’s house, also containing accommodation for lay people known as the “third order”.

Meanwhile the Extern House originally housed nuns who had not taken full vows and who were therefore not fully within the ‘Enclosure’.

They had a separate chapel, kitchen and other facilities as well as cells all within that building.

Planning documents also say: “The site is well positioned to take advantage of public transport links with bus

stops directly outside the site, and it is ideally located for residential use: being central to and within easy walking and cycling distance from a number of amenities.

“Given its previous use and tall perimeter wall, the site benefits from not being overlooked by neighbouring properties, providing a sense of enclosure and protection.”

Plans show that Northminster want to demolish a single-storey lean to extension to the Extern House, and then convert that building into two one-bed and three two-bed apartments over the two storeys.

At the same time the Lodge would be converted into one one-bed and four two-bed apartments; while the four new one bed houses would be built in the garden area just south of the Lodge building - with vehicle access through the existing carriage arch from Lawrence Street and seven parking places on the site.

The planning application was lodged in late March and planners have until June 21 to decide on it.