A FORMER officers mess and lodgings looks set for a new life as an upmarket family house, with five modern homes in the garden.

Ambitious plans have been submitted to City of York Council to redevelop and restore the site at Ousefield House on Fulford Road, York.

The Grade II- listed building was previously owned by the Ministry of Defence and operated as part of the nearby Imphal Barracks, which is due to close in 2031.

Designed by celebrated York architect known as “the Lutyens of the North” in the ‘Wrenaissance’ style, the house was completed in 1899.

For much of its life it was a private home, but the MOD took it over late last century, building a large rear extension in the 1970s, which included kitchens, to accommodate their needs.

The upper floors contained bedrooms, bathrooms and sitting room spaces, with the MOD using Ousefield House as officers lodging accommodation until 2018.

After being empty a few years, the 0.6ha site went on the market and now York-based London Ebor Properties Ltd seek to demolish the extension and redevelop the location.

Their planning application said of the 1970s extension: “Element of building is of poor quality, in poor condition and is detrimental to the overall significance of the house and site. This portion of the building is surplus to the requirements of the proposed new use as a single private residential dwelling.”

The planning documents: “Development of the site offers a series of opportunities to enhance and improve the setting of the existing heritage asset and surrounding conservation area.

“The potential to remove late 20th Century additions to Ousefield House could help to redefine historic boundaries and layouts, whilst existing access arrangements could be utilised to retain the character of the site and it’s impact upon the conservation area within the public domain.”

The five new homes would be designed and laid out to ensure “the new development comfortably within the available space and the green and open character of the site is retained.”

Furthermore, the application said: “Due to the sensitive nature of the site it is important that the houses are subservient in scale to the original listed building.

“As such a considered approach has been developed in order to reduce the impact the mass of each property has and to ensure these do not compete with Ousefield House.

“The use of a courtyard garden arrangement provides the opportunity to break up the mass of each house, reducing the visual impact and perceived scale of the properties. External courtyard and terrace spaces provide natural light to inner rooms, create welcoming entrance areas and connections to external spaces.”

The application added a range of environmental features, such as the use of solar panels, would also the scheme is ‘sustainable.’

City of York Council has still to determine the application.