A PHONE shop in the city centre could be turned into a new cafe and restaurant.

A planning application has been submitted for the EE store on Coney Street to become a cafe.

There are no details on what type of restaurant the unit could be turned into yet - but Rose Portfolio property firm says they want to attract a new tenant for the site.

The application says: “The unit is currently occupied by EE as a phone shop however they have served notice to vacate in June 2020 to consolidate into their other shop in York.

“In a bid to secure a new tenant for the unit we are seeking to extend the potential use class of the unit. We have received no interest to date from potential [shop] tenants since we began marketing the unit.

“At this stage no physical changes are proposed to the building, just an in principle change of use."

The Grade II-listed site would provide 345msq floorspace on the ground floor and basement.

But the applicants acknowledge the challenges businesses face due to coronavirus, with a statement saying: “The struggles in the retail sector, particularly towards the end of last year, are likely to be significantly exasperated in the current Covid-19 pandemic."