Site of Yorkshire venue where The Beatles played could be turned into student flats

But a report prepared by City of York Council says nearby residents and a local councilor believe the scheme will be too “overbearing” for the area and that the “transient nature of students will detract from the local community.”

The site in Fishergate was previously home to the Rialto Cinema and Ballroom and famously hosted The Beatles in 1963. The bingo hall, which closed in March this year, dates back to 2002.

The new building would be named Rialto House to honour the area’s heritage.

A council report shows the building would be a mix of “cluster flats” and studios with ground floor communal facilities in the wing facing Fishergate, with two landscaped courtyard areas.

Olympian Homes is behind the plans, working with the owners of the site Grantside and North Star.

Fishergate ward councillor Dave Taylor has objected to the plan. He wrote: “I am concerned that there may be too much student accommodation built in Fishergate Ward and this development might not be viable. More needs to be done to reduce overlooking of neighbours and their gardens.”

The council received 46 comments from the public, with one in support.

They said the flats would look “stark and out of context” and claimed they were an “overdevelopment of the site.” The report also raised some concerns about the development’s archaeological impact.

Excavation work will first take place as archaeology relating to the Anglian period nearby has been identified as of national significance. York Civic Trust is “generally supportive” of the design, the report states.

Council officers are recommending councillors on the planning committee approve the plans when they are debated on Thursday (Dec 2).

The report to councillors stated: “The scheme is considered an improvement over the existing site in terms of how it respects local character. There would be no undue effect on neighbours’ amenity and adequate amenities for future occupants.”