YORK'S De Grey Rooms would be "in good hands" if they were to be sold to the city's conservation trust, a top council chief said today.

Coun Quentin Macdonald, City of York Council's executive member for resources, gave his backing to York Conservation Trust's plans to acquire the De Grey Rooms and De Grey House.

As revealed in last night's Evening Press, the landmark city building will be placed in new hands if city councillors give the scheme the go ahead.

York Conservation Trust (YCT), a charitable organisation which owns some of the city's most ancient properties, is looking to add the Grade II* Listed Buildings to its portfolio.

The sale is part of moves to create a new "cultural quarter" around St Leonard's Place. As council workers move out of buildings and hope to centralise into one purpose built office, Impressions Gallery has been in discussions with Theatre Royal about a possible joint development of De Grey Rooms.

The trust's acquisition of the buildings would not be a bar to such moves, as the organisation frequently has tenants in its buildings.

The Tourist Information Centre would also remain on the ground floor of the De Grey Rooms for the immediate future while a possible move is considered. The proposal to sell the buildings to YCT, which has been backed by council officers, will come before the authority's executive on December 14.

Updated: 08:13 Thursday, December 09, 2004