York parking lot in Fishergate could become shop and flat

Owners of Indian eatery Mirchiz at 98-100 Fishergate want to develop the empty space next to the restaurant on the corner of Marlborough Grove. The spot is currently used for parking.

It follows a previous application to turn the land into a ground-floor restaurant with accommodation above which was approved in 2014, but never developed.

In a document to planners, Jade3 Architecture on behalf of client Abdur Rohim of Mirchiz lists a myriad of reasons why the project was shelved, from the Covid 19 pandemic to international conflict and rising utility bills.

Parking lot in Fishergate earmarked for shop and flat. Photo - NQ (Image: NQ)

The report states that all these issues put pressure on the hospitality sector - and continue to do so - and the site owners now believe a shop rather than a restaurant makes more economic sense.

Under the plan - reference 24/00504/FUL - a two-storey extension would be built with a shop on the ground floor and an apartment above, complete with external stair access.

The post box and bicycle stands to the front of the proposed extension would remain.

The Design and Access statement to planners lays out the many factors hampering the hospitality industry at the moment.

Fishergate parade of shops. Photo - NQ (Image: NQ)

It lists the impact of the Covid 19 pandemic which caused a decline in the hospitality and small business sectors as well as an increase in labour and building material costs afterwards. World conflict that led to record-high rises in utility bills and the UK going into recession are also mentioned as well as the recent Red Sea crisis, said to be the straw that has "really broken the camel’s back".

It continued to say that because the hospitality sector was still challenging, a new design for the side two-storey extension was being proposed with retail on the ground floor instead of a restaurant. The first floor would have a new one bedroom apartment with an open-plan design.

Artist's impression of new shop front in Fishergate. Photo from planning documents (Image: NQ)

The new scheme would offer benefits to the area too, says the report. "This site offers the opportunity to meet the growth in demand for local housing stock within the district and also a new retail unit." It adds that it also provides "regeneration and local employment".

The report concludes that the clients are keen to build the shop and flat as soon as possible. "This proposal will become a reality as our clients are keen to progress with the building works as soon as practical so that it will complete the street scene plus gives them additional revenue that was not available before."

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