Traffic in York is affected as Piccadilly closes a lane for building works, impacting local routes and parking until late October.
City of York: The City of York Council has announced that the south-east bound lane on Piccadilly will be closed starting February 3. This closure will last until October 31, allowing for some significant building works.
During this time, left turns from Dennis Street into Piccadilly will also be off-limits. Plus, all on-street parking on the north-eastern side of Piccadilly will be suspended.
Drivers will have to follow a signed alternative route via Merchantgate, Walmgate, and St Deny’s Road while the work is ongoing.
As previously reported, the old Swinson House has been demolished, and the nearby Banana Warehouse has also been cleared to make way for a new hotel and restaurant.
Plans to redevelop the Swinson House site into a 132-room hotel have been in the works since 2022. Developers North Star purchased the site from the Dominvs Group.
The building, which was built in 1938, used to house HMRC but was deemed outdated and no longer suitable for use.
In late 2019, Dominvs Group submitted plans to demolish Swinson House and build a new hotel with a restaurant and bar on the ground floor.
The planning committee gave the green light in August 2020, with the hotel expected to create between 50 and 70 jobs during and after construction.
The total value of the project is estimated to exceed £25 million, contributing to the revitalization of the Castle Gateway area in York.
HMRC used to employ nearly 200 people in York, but only about 30 remained when the building closed. Staff were relocated to an office in Leeds as part of HMRC’s modernization efforts.
