PLANS for two apartment blocks, a bridge across the Foss and a riverside footpath are set to go back before councillors at a planning meeting on Thursday.

The scheme was deferred at a planning meeting two weeks ago - as councillors were cross that a conservation expert was not present to answer their questions.

The application for 106 new apartments, a bridge and footpath has been submitted by City of York Council as part of its own Castle Gateway regeneration project.

It is also set to include plans for a new multi storey car park at St George's Field - which was discussed alongside the apartments plan at a meeting on November 19. The car park plans were deferred and are not on the agenda for this week's meeting.

Planning officers recommend the application for the apartment blocks and bridge are approved - despite objections from the council's own conservation architect who writes: "Overall, the proposal is too tall for this site resulting in a fundamental change to the character and appearance of the Conservation Area and the setting of numerous and very important heritage assets."

"The scale of the proposed development will ‘loom’ over the heritage assets and interrupt important views that assist in understanding their significance. I, therefore, object to the application in the strongest terms."