REVISED plans for a new £20 million hotel to be built on the former Banana Warehouse site in York have been submitted.

An original plan for the 159-bedroom Marriott brand hotel on the site of the landmark building in Piccadilly was submitted last year, but the developers, Axcel Group, withdrew the application following planning recommendations from city stakeholders.

The new proposal is for a 168-bedroom hotel that will be smaller to “better fit the location and also allow improved views through to Clifford’s Tower”.

The application states that the new design “respects the heritage interest of the city and the site location but also complements other developments coming forward along Piccadilly as part of a wider regeneration initiative”.

The plans also save the iconic Banana Warehouse facade - a site originally used to ripen bananas, before becoming a second-hand furniture business for many years until it shut down in 2016.

The application says: “The proposals demolish all the existing buildings at the site but save the Banana Warehouse façade, and now has a building height of between three and five storeys.”

Further changes in the revised development include landscaping trees and meadow flowers, and a timber terrace overlooking the River Foss has also been added.

The original plan for a restaurant and bar also remain, however, there is no mention of a leisure centre that was included in the first set of plans.

A spokesman for Axcel Group said: “The team behind the development of the Banana Warehouse site have worked closely with the City of York Council planning team and Historic England, to address concerns raised by the previous application.

“In response, the new design responds to the streetscape, in both scale and in the use of traditional brick and zinc cladding. The design also responds to the amended planning approval, opening up the opportunity for a visual link to the river and increasing the amount of landscaping to the River Foss.

“Our development will bring significant benefits to the area, with the creation of employment but also addressing a site that was largely used as a car park, with surrounding buildings in the vicinity of that car park not being used.

“The Banana Warehouse frontage is a historic building and we as developers are looking to preserve its history by incorporating it into our development.”

The proposed Marriott is next to another planned hotel for Piccadilly, a 155-bedroom Hampton by Hilton.