News / Planners Give Thumbs Up as 'Time' Moves on
Planners Give Thumbs Up as 'Time' Moves on
York developer S Harrison has won council support for its green-driven revitalisation of the former Time Office - the first building to be refurbished and brought back into use on the Terry's site.
The council's planning committee approved Harrison's plans to build an additional glazed storey on the listed building and praised the company's "green" approach.
The scheme has also got the approval of Denise Stuart, Chief Executive of york-england.com, the Inward Investment Agency for York and North Yorkshire: “It’s generally acknowledged that there is a shortage of premier office space in York City Centre. Therefore, the new accommodation proposed by Harrison’s will act as a significant pull factor for potential Inward Investors and homegrown companies. We look forward to working with Harrison’s in marketing this prestigious new offering and attracting new companies and jobs to the City.”
Harrison, which recently moved from Malton to York following the sale of its construction business to Rok has renamed the building Stanley Harrison House. It now plans to refurbish it to provide head office accommodation for its own team and much needed high-quality serviced office accommodation to attract other inward investors to the city.
Planning officers at the council had particularly praised Harrison's design which retains the integrity of the 1920s building, and commended the sustainable features which they plan to introduce. When completed the building will exceed the CO2 emissions performance required by the Building Regulations and achieve a better than excellent BREEAM rating. With air source heating, photovoltaic panel technology and solar powered water heating the building will be largely energy self-sufficient.
The Harrison team has also devised green travel plans to minimise the traffic impact of the new offices.
Says S Harrison's Chris Hale, who led the team seeking planning approval, "We really do believe that this project provides the benchmark for sustainable development for the city as a whole. We have demonstrated that older listed buildings can be returned to effective environmentally sustainable use. We are delighted that the council's planning committee has recognised the lengths to which we have gone to respect the site's history and address green issues."
He added, "The creation of new high quality serviced offices at The Chocolate Works will provide a real boost to the regional economy, attracting inward investors to the city."
