A YORK company whose customers suffer from hearing problems has objected to a flats development in a neighbouring building - because of concerns about potential noise problems.

Bosses at Hidden Hearing, a hearing aid retailer at 23 Bootham, fear that noise from proposed apartments at 25 Bootham could affect its services.

An application has been lodged with City of York Council to convert the upper three floors of the neighbouring building, which are currently offices, to seven apartments.

In a letter to the council, Brian Marriott, Hidden Hearing facilities manager, says: "We believe the noise levels will increase in general and will possibly effect our ability as an organisation to test the hearing of our customers within the confines of our premises."

Mr Marriott said the testing of hearing involved being able to reduce noise levels inside the premises until the customer's threshold of hearing could be determined, and a lot of noise from adjoining buildings could make it difficult to measure that accurately.

The developers behind the plan, Hetherton and Stuart, say that 25 Bootham, was "under-used and unsuccessful as offices" and difficult to let. Parts have been vacant for years and there is insufficient income to secure the building's long-term future.

They said the flats were expected to provide a financial boost to the property, helping to restore it to its original residential use.

They say the second-floor had recently been vacated by a local voluntary group which enjoyed preferential terms, while the attic floor has been empty for some years.

City of York Council planners are due to consider the application at a meeting on September 2.

Updated: 10:32 Thursday, August 26, 2004