Hotel plans for Historic England office

Historic England has said it will move out of its York office next year, to make way for a 38-bedroom hotel.

The Grade II listed building in Tanner Row was put up for sale in 2023, with an asking price of £2.7m.

It was bought by Splendid Hotels Ltd, which received planning permission in July to convert the site into a sister hotel of The Grand.

The heritage body, which currently uses the building as an office space, said it was searching for a new home following the sale, with its lease expiring in August 2027.

Built in the 1850s, 37 Tanner Row originally operated as a hotel before being turned into offices when it was bought by North Eastern Railway in 1899.

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, the conversion will see the office rooms turned into hotel suites and bathroom "pods" installed in those lacking washing facilities.

A reception area is planned on the ground floor and back-of-house facilities, including linen washing and staff areas, will go in the basement.

Plans stated the project aimed to preserve the building's heritage while updating it for contemporary use and removing outdated features.

Historic England's spokesperson said they were keeping staff informed regularly and supporting them ahead of the closure.

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