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Grantside's chocolate dream melts

Jude Buttle

York City Council has refused to grant planning permission to privately-owned developer Grantside's £185m plans for the redevelopment of the former Terry's Chocolate factory.

After being operational for 80 years, the Terry's Chocolate Factory was closed in September 2005 and bought the following spring by Grantside.

GHT Developments, the York based subsidiary of the company, were hoping to use the 25-acre site to build 296,000 sq ft of offices, nearly 400 apartments and two swanky hotels.

But at a council meeting last week, the plans were dismissed by councillors because they feared that the site would suffer from ‘over-development.'

At the meeting, concerns were aired specifically about the designs and volume of the project and the possible impact the development of the old chocolate factory could have on the local conservation area.

But one councillor, Richard Watson said he hopes Grantside are not too disheartened by the planning rejection.

"I hope they take a positive message from amongst the bad news," he said. "Councillors are very keen the site is developed. We very much hope they will be back before us with new designs."

Photo by Darwin Bell