PART of York’s chocolate-making heritage is set to bite the dust as confectionery giant Nestlé plans to demolish some of its disused buildings.

The company wants to knock down a series of structures which once played a vital production role, as it continues to pave the way for a massive redevelopment of the southern end of its Haxby Road site.

It has applied to City of York Council for planning permission to carry out the demolition work, which, if approved, would see a string of 19th century buildings disappear.

But Nestlé will retain the imposing landmark buildings facing Haxby Road, with those it wants to remove being hidden away at the rear of the factory complex, and also says its plans will not have any effect on the listed Joseph Rowntree Library.

The original brick buildings at the southern end of the site are ultimately expected to be the setting for an office, retail and residential development, with the sale of the land on which they stand helping to fund new factory buildings at the northern end of its operation. A development brief for this scheme was drawn up in May 2007.

In a planning statement submitted to the council, Liverpool-based architects Cass Associates said: “The development brief recognises that earlier buildings in the factory complex have a strong physical presence in the surrounding area. It urges the retention of the most significant buildings and the landscape along Haxby Road.

These buildings should feature strongly in any redevelopment proposals. “In the process of preparing the development brief, there was an opportunity to identify those buildings which make a particular contribution to the heritage value of this part of the city of York. These buildings have subsequently been included in the Nestlé/Rowntree Factory Conservation Area.

“The buildings to be demolished make a lesser contribution to heritage and have not been afford protection. In general, they are low-level production buildings at the core of Nestlé South which are concealed from points of public viewpoint.”