The offices of the York Press are set to be turned into student accommodation with the newspaper’s current staff moving to smaller purpose-built offices on the same site.
Plans for the £35m development have been given the green light by York City Council, with the Walmgate site to be converted into 350 flats and apartments, accommodating 648 students.
An artist’s impression of the new site
Some of The Press’ current buildings will be bulldozed, with the Newsquest title moving into 630 sq m of office space in the Poads building.
David Coates, regional managing director of Newsquest Yorkshire and North East, said: “As York’s local newspaper, we are absolutely committed to maintaining our operation within the city walls and this scheme enables us to keep our journalist, sales and management teams here cost-effectively. We’re tremendously excited by the proposal.”
Chris Hale, design manager of developers S Harrison Developments Ltd, said there would be a major increase in the landscaping and biodiversity of the site.
“The plans we have put forward will see an underutilised brownfield site redeveloped to deliver much-needed student accommodation for the city’s growing student population,” he said.
The project is set to create around 200 new construction jobs and 20 permanent roles and is due to be completed in time for the new student intake in September 2015.
In the most recent ABC figures, for July to December 2012, sales of the Press fell 8.8% year to year to 23,007.
