A decision on whether to approve plans for a new Roman Quarter in York was postponed following the announcement of the death of Queen Elizabeth II mid-way through the meeting.

Councillors, members of the public and the developers had spent around two hours discussing the proposal before Buckingham Palace announced her death at 6.30pm on Thursday.

Planning committee chair Cllr Chris Cullwick announced a break in the meeting before it was reconvened and a full adjournment was announced.

He said: “We’ve heard the sad news of the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth and in the light of that sad news from the palace this evening, I have discussed with fellow members and consulted with the vice chair appointed.

“We feel that it is appropriate that we discontinue the meeting at this time to be adjourned.”

Councillors, officers and other participants at the meeting at West Offices then stood for a minute’s silence.

Flags across York are flying at half mast to mark the Queen’s death and a book of condolence has been opened at West Offices.

The proposal the councillors were set to decide on is to create a new, underground Roman museum – Eboracum – along with an 88-room aparthotel, 153 new apartments and new office space.

It has divided heritage experts but the vast majority of representations to the council about the scheme are supportive.

Council officers have recommended that the scheme is approved because the harm to archaeological deposits expected to result from the build, and to the wider conservation area, is outweighed by “substantial public benefits”.

It would see the demolition of Northern House, Rougier House and Society Bar, with the dig area taking up around 30 per cent of the site.

The application, by Rougier Street Developments and York Archaeological Trust (YAT), builds on one that was rejected by councillors in early 2021.

The building was criticised as being “monolithic” by councillors, but officers have said the new design, which separates the development into two forms set on a two-storey plinth, is an improvement.

The council’s conservation officer has disagreed, due to the scale of the building and its impact on the conservation area.

“The effects of this harm will be long lasting, if not permanent,” they said.

The site lies at the junction of a Roman road and the deposits beneath it are likely to be of national significance. The dig would take place over two years, with findings displayed in the museum, Eboracum – the Roman name for York.

But the Council for British Archaeology has objected.

They have said that the “rationale behind the archaeological proposals and the scale of development necessary to deliver the scheme is both flawed and fundamentally harmful” and that the “claimed public benefits are used to justify a building which represents an over-development of the site.”

Historic England has called it “confused and contradictory”.

The council’s report acknowledges that “the loss of significant Roman and later waterlogged archaeological deposits amounts to substantial harm”.

Just six of the 51 representations made to the council are in objection, however.

The attraction itself is anticipated to bring around 500,000 visitors to the city once it is opened, creating 50 new jobs and boosting the visitor economy by approximately £21 million.