A former city centre bookshop cannot be turned into a home, say York planners.

Property owner Peter Docwra sought to change the use of the former Grimoire Bookshop at 7 High Petergate, which closed suddenly last September.

The Grade 2-listed building dates back to the 1600s and is in the Minster Precinct of the Central Historic Core conservation area.

For seven years it had operated as an independent bookshop across three floors.

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The business had specialised in antiquarian and second-hand books and had sci-fi and fantasy books covering an entire floor, until the former tenant quit the premises.

A council report said previous uses the building had included an estate agents and a law office.

Mr Docwra, who is managing director of Ashton’s Estate Agents next door to the bookshop, had wanted to convert the building into a three-bed house.

Planning agents Vincent and Brown said in their planning application this would enable “continued sustainable use of the building”, adding it had been used as a house before.

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City of York Council’s Conservation Officer agreed, adding conversion work would be “mostly repair and restoration.”

However, former councillor Fiona Fitzpatrick (Lab-Guildhall) said such a scheme would cause the loss of a retail unit on High Petergate and the loss of character on a historic street. She also told council planners the property had been inadequately marketed.

Similarly, seven letters of objection cited harm caused by the loss of a retail unit on a business and retail street.

Among the objectors were neighbouring shop owner Philippa Morris, of the Little Apple Bookshop, at 13 High Petergate, who called for the property to be saved for retail or hospitality use.

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She said: "A shop or restaurant can attract hundreds of people to a street in one week, thousands in a year. A house will bring just one resident or family.”

Philippa added the differing businesses in the street attract people to it, and the loss of the shop would reduce footfall and ‘threaten’ commercial businesses in the city centre.

Assessing the planning application and associated Listed Building Consent Application, council planners noted High Petergate is “predominantly retail in character”, with it being a key pedestrian route leading to other shops and city attractions.

The proposed change of use “would result in harm to the future vitality and viability of the city centre,” they said.

The proposed ‘deactivation’ of the heritage shopfront would also cause harm to the character of High Petergate, which is “characterised by attractive retail and pub frontages.”

Planners also noted: “There are concerns over the impact of the noise levels generated by live music performances at the adjacent public house on the amenity of future residents; insufficient details have been provided in this regard.”

With this conflicting with both national and local planning policies, refusal was recommended.