Refurbishment planned for White Swan Hotel in Piccadilly, York

10:00am Saturday 26th May 2012 in News Photograph of the Author By Gavin Aitchison, gavin.aitchison@thepress.co.uk

White Swan Hotel White Swan Hotel

A LANDMARK building in York city centre looks set to be turned into shops and apartments after its owners abandoned demolition plans.

The Graham Family Trust said it intended to pursue a “heritage-driven refurbishment” of the White Swan Hotel, on the corner of Piccadilly and Coppergate.

The Trust said last year it was considering demolishing and rebuilding the hotel, which was built in 1912 but has been empty for the past 30 years.

Jason Garrett, who is representing the Trust, said it was still working to secure a future for the site but said it was no longer looking at demolition. He said there would be apartments on the upper floors and shops on the ground floor as at present, although more details should be released within weeks. Supermarket chain Waitrose is believed to have expressed an interest in one of the shop units.

Mr Garrett said: “We are working hard to try to get something that works effectively for us commercially and also for the city. It has not been forgotten, it is receiving careful consideration, and I hope to have something for public consultation within four weeks.”

He said the building, in its existing form, would not lend itself to hotel use and said apartments would be more appropriate, with shops below.

He said public opposition to demolition was a factor in the Trust’s decision but not the only one. After The Press revealed the original plans last October, many residents wrote to the newspaper’s letters page, arguing that the building should be kept.

Mr Garrett said: “The public response was considered, as was commercial viability, the end use, and city-centre planning schemes.

“There were a number of factors which pulled us away from a demolition scheme and moved us to a heritage-led refurbishment.”

Alison Sinclair, York conservation campaigner and former chair of the York Open Planning Forum, said: “I am delighted the owners of the White Swan listened to what local people were saying and have decided to keep the building. To restore it with shops on the ground floor and flats above is just the right thing to do and if heritage-led refurbishment means that any historic features inside are to be kept, so much the better.”

The White Swan is on the “local list” of interesting buildings and Ms Sinclair said the news showed the success of the list. She said: “I look forward to seeing fully restored to its former glory very soon.”

Comments(38)

Tug job says...
10:27am Sat 26 May 12

Shouldn't the headline for this article have neen "York City Centre not dying shock!". I wonder if the former chair of the York Open Planning Forum can lobby to arrange for the busses that stop opposite the White Swan to run down to MacArthur Glen; wouldn't that be convenient?

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Alf Garnett says...
10:31am Sat 26 May 12

Thirty years empty. Good grief. So now this gang are posing as the saviours of Piccadilly. Better (very) late than never.

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Alf Garnett says...
10:33am Sat 26 May 12

Tug job wrote:
Shouldn't the headline for this article have neen "York City Centre not dying shock!". I wonder if the former chair of the York Open Planning Forum can lobby to arrange for the busses that stop opposite the White Swan to run down to MacArthur Glen; wouldn't that be convenient?
Get the Selby bus.

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Woody Mellor says...
10:38am Sat 26 May 12

Hooray! Fantastic news. Now, all we need to do is keep creeping down Picaddilly putting buildings back in to use.

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PinzaC55 says...
11:18am Sat 26 May 12

That's great news but I can't help feeling that a hotel would have brought more money in? The only problem would have been lack of parking but that would also apply to apartments.

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swh1963 says...
11:20am Sat 26 May 12

I think this should be stopped because it represents unfair competition for Monks Cross which will be a ghost town if this goes ahead;)

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Alpha Kenny Thing says...
11:58am Sat 26 May 12

I don't know who these jokers that are The Graham Family Trust have got away with leaving the Swan in such a state for so long. If we left a house like this the Council would come down on us like a ton of bricks.
Brown envelopes all round!

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Tug job says...
12:07pm Sat 26 May 12

Alf Garnett wrote:
Tug job wrote: Shouldn't the headline for this article have neen "York City Centre not dying shock!". I wonder if the former chair of the York Open Planning Forum can lobby to arrange for the busses that stop opposite the White Swan to run down to MacArthur Glen; wouldn't that be convenient?
Get the Selby bus.
I should have known!

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bar_wench says...
12:16pm Sat 26 May 12

Thank god they are keeping the building. Shops and flats are a good idea and would definately make good use of the space thats available inside the building. City centre clearly is not dying because of 2 new shops in monks cross

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long distance depressive says...
12:22pm Sat 26 May 12

bar_wench wrote:
Thank god they are keeping the building. Shops and flats are a good idea and would definately make good use of the space thats available inside the building. City centre clearly is not dying because of 2 new shops in monks cross
We don't know what types of shops are planned yet though! Odds on a new Tesco Metro to get the quick Green Flag and maybe a Starbucks!?

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twigger says...
1:27pm Sat 26 May 12

More work for those Tradesmen that aren't local !!!

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The Mc says...
1:32pm Sat 26 May 12

Bring back the Centre Bar!

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roskoboskovic says...
2:30pm Sat 26 May 12

nice of the graham trust to make their minds up at last.this eyesore has been a blight on the city centre for years so why was no action taken by the council.

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Yorkie-Clifton says...
2:33pm Sat 26 May 12

I am very pleased that it is not being demolished .

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Stupidyorkpeople says...
3:07pm Sat 26 May 12

Shock horror - York not dieting after all

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BigJon says...
7:01pm Sat 26 May 12

Strange nobody is commenting about the possibility of Waitrose opening a city centre store there (taking trade from local shops), yet if it was Tesco there would be millions of angry comments.....

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Sawday2 says...
7:01pm Sat 26 May 12

swh1963 wrote:
I think this should be stopped because it represents unfair competition for Monks Cross which will be a ghost town if this goes ahead;)
Nice one. I wish I'd thought of saying that.

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Tigerlady says...
7:45pm Sat 26 May 12

The Mc wrote:
Bring back the Centre Bar!
Here here,start a petition!!!

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Tug job says...
7:47pm Sat 26 May 12

The Mc wrote:
Bring back the Centre Bar!
LOLz - happy days!

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Dick Turpin says...
8:32pm Sat 26 May 12

Demolish it. Turn it into grazing land. Bring the horses in from the highways !

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Jazzper says...
9:09pm Sat 26 May 12

Dick Turpin wrote:
Demolish it. Turn it into grazing land. Bring the horses in from the highways !
That's the best suggestion so far....it certainly made me laugh ! people could also keep their horses there, ready for use when the 20mph limit is imposed. I think it might be a good time to set up a business selling horse drawn carts !

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Tug job says...
9:15pm Sat 26 May 12

Dick Turpin wrote:
Demolish it. Turn it into grazing land. Bring the horses in from the highways !
Yes, then somebody could open a blacksmiths forge...great idea!

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ouseswimmer says...
10:13pm Sat 26 May 12

I can never understand why the council have let this saga run and run. Totally inexcusable.

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Stracqualursi says...
10:19pm Sat 26 May 12

So what if it's a Starbucks, Tesco or pound shop, far better than it being left empty. Why have the owners left it to get in to the state it has?

All we need now is that eyesore bus depot place opposite to be flattened

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PinzaC55 says...
10:59pm Sat 26 May 12

ouseswimmer wrote:
I can never understand why the council have let this saga run and run. Totally inexcusable.
To be fair to the council (I know they don't deserve fairness) I think they didn't have powers to do anything about it, like a compulsory purchase. Together with the great open space created by demolition of the splash palace this will tidy up this end of the city immensely.

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jumbojet says...
12:31am Sun 27 May 12

You have said it all folks. What is going on with the Council of this City that allows this disgusting building to sit, on a prime site, in a tourist City for 30 plus years. When it was occupied a few years back, which I joined, the solicitors and police were putting paperwork under the door within hours. York City Council, a disgrace.

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Tug job says...
1:27am Sun 27 May 12

I understand that providing the building is in a safe condition the Council can't really do much about it, other than pursue the owner and discuss development options. I have no doubt that others will have (or will claim to have) more knowledge on planning and development matters, if so please let us know.

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PinzaC55 says...
7:57am Sun 27 May 12

By the way , regarding it's "neglected" appearance, next time you go past the "Reflex" bar have a look at the peeling paintwork and the windows caked in filth on the upper stories. Work out how much of that space is disused?

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Alf Garnett says...
3:26pm Sun 27 May 12

twigger wrote:
More work for those Tradesmen that aren't local !!!
I suppose that a logical extension of your line of thinking would be to prevent anyone leaving or entering the city for any purpose whatsoever. Work is a bit like the second law of thermodynamics: those seeking work tend to go to where the work is available. One assumes that there are documented cases from the past where people from this city have gone elsewhere to find work. Judi Dench, John Barry and Guido Fawkes spring to mind.

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TheYorkRose says...
9:23am Mon 28 May 12

Glad that this is being revitalised, but why is it always called "eyesore hotel" by the York Press when near enough everyone likes the building? Bad journalism.

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Yorklass2008 says...
12:00pm Mon 28 May 12

Champagne bar! ;-)
Would look lovely back as a hotel but yes agree parking wouldn't be available... multistorey in Piccadilly would though

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Stracqualursi says...
1:54pm Mon 28 May 12

TheYorkRose wrote:
Glad that this is being revitalised, but why is it always called "eyesore hotel" by the York Press when near enough everyone likes the building? Bad journalism.
Cos the state it's in IS an eyesore. Unless you like shitholes

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Stracqualursi says...
1:55pm Mon 28 May 12

PinzaC55 wrote:
By the way , regarding it's "neglected" appearance, next time you go past the "Reflex" bar have a look at the peeling paintwork and the windows caked in filth on the upper stories. Work out how much of that space is disused?
Reflex is a disgrace on the outside....on the inside it's even worse. It's a dump

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idjut17 says...
11:26pm Mon 28 May 12

Does anyone remember `Davy Jones Locker`..early `80s?
It was a pub,,,Underneath what is now `The Old White Swan Hotel`...The ABC Cinema..now a `Multi Storey Car Park.` used to be the `Painted Wagon`..?

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sherrian says...
11:40pm Mon 28 May 12

The Mc wrote:
Bring back the Centre Bar!
Here here !

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sherrian says...
11:43pm Mon 28 May 12

idjut17 wrote:
Does anyone remember `Davy Jones Locker`..early `80s?
It was a pub,,,Underneath what is now `The Old White Swan Hotel`...The ABC Cinema..now a `Multi Storey Car Park.` used to be the `Painted Wagon`..?
Yes, great times... shame they are not still there

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baldiebiker says...
12:37am Tue 29 May 12

is this where the "center bar" used to be? can anyone remember it? and it was center and not centre?

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baldiebiker says...
12:45am Tue 29 May 12

sherrian wrote:
idjut17 wrote:
Does anyone remember `Davy Jones Locker`..early `80s?
It was a pub,,,Underneath what is now `The Old White Swan Hotel`...The ABC Cinema..now a `Multi Storey Car Park.` used to be the `Painted Wagon`..?
Yes, great times... shame they are not still there
can remember the painted wagon, in fact I've still got one of the bar stools from it? long story, and got a beating outside it one night, ah those were the days.

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