A LEADING York hotel has secured permission to convert a former coach house to create more guest accommodation.

Grays Court Hotel wants to transform a stable block into seven bedrooms to build on its success which follows a £50,000 renovation earlier this year.

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Its biggest-ever refurbishment at the start of 2022, and these plans, come less than two years after owner Helen Heraty feared for the future of her business in the wake of the Covid restrictions.

The newly-approved plans, accompanied by a listed building consent application, also involve internal alterations such as new partitions and bathrooms, and an extension with an entrance porch.

Windows and doors would be replaced, and five conservation-style rooflights installed.

A condition of consent is that the development must start within three years. The old coach house is currently used for storage.

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The old coach house Picture: City of York Council planning documents

A planning officer's report concluded that the creation of more guest accommodation would support the growth of the12-bedroom hotel in Chapter House Street.

The repair works and conversion of the building, which dates from the second half of the 19th century, would also preserve the significance of the listed building, the city walls and York Minster while preserving the conservation area.

The Grade I-listed Grays Court, beside the walls between Monk Bar and Bootham Bar, was originally part of the Minster Treasurer’s House but incorporates fabric dating from the Roman period onwards.

Renowned for its views across Grays Court gardens to York Minster, the hotel lies within the Minster Precinct area of the central historic core conservation area and within the city centre area of archaeological importance. It is also a scheduled ancient monument.

The two-storey Coach House is largely in its original condition, retaining multi-pane timber windows and stable doors.

New external lighting is proposed for the driveway and gravelled parking area to the north-west of the building and by the entrance.

Chapter House Street and Ogleforth have a residential community as well as the National Trust-owned Treasurer's House and offices in Church House.

Six neighbours objected, concerned about the potential for increased noise and disturbance from additional guests; intensification of the use of the site; potential property damage by hotel guests; and disturbance from deliveries to the hotel.

Meanwhile, some said the addition of seven bedrooms would enable the hotel to attract larger groups for events such as weddings and conferences, resulting in more activity and potential disturbance.

The report said the original planning permission for the hotel/bed and breakfast accommodation had not attached conditions in relation to neighbour amenity considerations. The inspector found this was adequately controlled by license conditions.

"As such, the local planning authority is not able to attach any new conditions relating to protection of amenity in terms of deliveries and refuse collections to the additional annex accommodation in the Coach House. Any continuing noise and nuisance complaints should be directed through Licensing."

An ecological surveys found no presence of bat roost or bird nests in the building and thus no harm to biodiversity from the conversion, although a precautionary condition is advised. The addition of bird and bat boxes to the building to increase biodiversity, to support foraging bats viewed on site and in the vicinity, is recommended and accepted by the conservation officer.