YOUNG people are finally to get a long-awaited café and events centre in the heart of York after years of campaigning.

The café, which will to function as an affordable meeting space and music venue for 13-to 19-year-olds, has been granted permission to be developed in the former Borders café in Little Stonegate.

Ewan Main, a trustee for the project, said: “It’s a great place and near the trendiest bars. At the moment there is nowhere for young people to go in the city centre that’s warm and affordable.

“It’s going fantastically well. It’s becoming apparent that all sorts of professionals and businesses are keen to make this a success.”

Young people will help run the café and will be able to learn about food preparation and the floor below is planned to have a moveable stage for music performances, Mr Main said.

The 220-capacity venue is also hoped to be used by groups that work with young people and as a base for projects such as the Duke of Edinburgh Award.

If the lease is secured as planned, organisers hope to have completed building works and to have opened the long-awaited café, which was originally intended to be based in Fossgate, within the year.

An independent charity, the York Young People’s Trust, has been made up of volunteers from organisations including York Youth Council, City of York Council, York Carers Centre and St Michael-le-Belfrey church to help fund and run the café.

St Michael-le-Belfrey has secured about £30,000 for the fund through the YorKash scheme, which provides financial help for groups and activities involving young people and funding has been given from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation.

About £25,000 was also set aside in the council budget earlier in the year to fund a caretaker for the premises. Coun Ruth Potter, executive member for education, children and young people’s services, said: “This news brings one step closer the realisation of a long-held ambition to establish a youth café in the city centre – run by young people, and for young people.”