A recently taken-over historic York hotel has submitted plans for major renovations.

The work being sought at the landmark Dean Court Hotel in Dumcombe Place includes removal of an existing modern reception area, creating a new bar/hotel reception and a larger restaurant on the ground floor.

If approved, there would also be new toilet and food preparation facilities installed in the basement of the hotel, set in a former 19th century clergy house.

The planning application to City of York Council says Dean Court Hotel comprises of three Grade 2 listed buildings and is in the setting of York Minister and other historic buildings.

“The client’s ambition is to enhance the visitor offer for this significant central York hotel. The client is looking to sensitively adapt the existing spaces to create a larger bar and restaurant on the ground floor of the hotel to provide a warm, welcoming space that is full of atmosphere with associated improvements to the back-of-house spaces.”

The application continued: “The client has recently purchased the Dean Court Hotel. The existing hotel is tired and presents a confusing maze of rooms of varying character and quality. The client seeks to enhance the potential of this important and centrally located building within York to improve its character and make a meaningful improvement the city’s leisure and visitor offer.”

The four-star 40-room Dean Court Hotel is owned by the Northumberland-based Inn Collection Group, which operates around 30 pubs and hotels across the North of England. It bought Deans Court last August.

Then, in February this year, the rapidly-growing company was sold by Alchemy Partners to a new firm owned by the Harris family in conjunction with Kings Park Capital, reportedly for more than £300M.

The internal works would also see the creation of a private dining room with the re-instatement of a fireplace. Fireplaces would also be reinstated in other areas. Modern partitions would be removed in places to create a larger restaurant and to improve access between the prep kitchen and the basement.

The application said: “The approach has been to improve the visitor offer while removing past harmful interventions to reinstate the legibility and historic character of the buildings and better reveal their significance.”

It added: “The works proposed seek to enhance the restaurant and bar offer of the hotel for both guests and external visitors and to allow the building to realise its full potential worthy of its almost unrivalled location facing York Minster.”

“This is centred on the principal aim of increasing the use of the restaurant and bar and therefore the economic viability of the use of the buildings and therefore securing their conversation in the long term. This in turn will enhance their contribution to the particular character and distinctiveness of the highest significance and make a meaningful contribution to the city’s leisure and visitor offer.”