A DEVELOPER is planning to turn a former private school building in the centre of York into a restaurant, shops and apartments.

Hull firm George Houlton and Sons (Holdings) Ltd has applied for planning permission to redevelop the former York College for Girls, at 62-68 Low Petergate.

The firm is asking City of York Council for approval to convert and extend the existing buildings to form a restaurant, five retail units and 17 apartments.

The developer bought the empty three-storey cluster of listed Georgian buildings for an undisclosed sum a year ago.

The former school had been put on the market for offers of more than £2 million by then owners Sir John Fitzgerald Ltd in June last year.

At the time of the sale, it was said that any redevelopment proposal would have to be carefully scrutinised by city planners as the Grade II* listed property had an "education only" listing.

The £1,600-a-term school was founded in 1908 and closed in 1997 due to a cash crisis.

At the time a letter to parents from the Church Schools Company said it felt the school was no longer able to maintain its high standards with the number of pupils on the register.

But the move caused widespread outrage among parents and pupils who wrote to the Archbishop of York, Dr David Hope, to ask for his help.

Some parents even threatened to take legal action against the Church Schools Company.

At one stage parents were so angered by the closure plans by the Church School Company that they barricaded the head teacher, Erica Taylor, and two other senior teachers inside the building.

The protesters were later let inside the building to discuss their grievances with the teachers.

Despite the objections the closure went ahead and the last pupils left the school in July 1997, with 132 girls being offered places at schools in Hull and Lincolnshire.

Updated: 12:22 Monday, December 30, 2002