IT'S long been seen as York premier shopping street - but after years of Internet competition and unfair business rates, followed by the past year of lockdowns and disruption, Coney Street is currently a street of to let signs.

Nine properties are available to let, excluding two empty premises which went under the hammer at an auction on Thursday - one of which sold but the other of which failed to reach its reserve price.

This montage shows the 'to let' signs posted above and in the windows of a range of former shops, from the former River Island and Warehouse fashion stores to the ex-Poundland store and several mobile phone shops. Most of the street's other shops have been closed since January because of the latest lockdown.

However, such non-essential retail units will reopen again next month under the Government's roadmap out of lockdown, and there are hopes that the street as a whole will revive in time.

Chartered surveyor Barry Crux, of Barry Crux & Company, said last year there was still strong demand for good quality empty premises in city centre streets, including Coney Street,where his firm had agreed the sale of an empty shop.

And developer Max Reeves, of Helmsley Group, said in December that the recovery from the pandemic would give the city an opportunity to evolve and its future looked bright.

He said the days of generic high streets and buildings owned by remote multi billion pound funds were dying, and properties were moving into the hands of local investors, who had the interest and the passion to see the city thrive.