ONE of York’s busiest streets could be set for a new shop after the 15-year tenure of an alcoholic drinks, oils and vinegars stockist ended.

Tuesday, 19 August 2025 19:52

By Kevin Glenton

City of York Council received an application for listed building consent from Jamie Roche of Sora Workshop Ltd for the vacant site of the former Il Gusto in Low Petergate.

New paintwork and two new signs are proposed for the grade II* listed building in York’s Central Historic Core area dominated by retail establishments.

The timber shopfront would be repainted from “stark white to heritage-appropriate off-black”, with one non-illuminated sign hand painted onto the newly painted timber, according to planning documents submitted with the application.

Plans say that an existing round hanging sign would be replaced with a “square, non-illuminated sign made from oak timber and painted in off-black" with a hand-painted ‘Sora’ logo.

The application is within a building, listed in 1954 - the former York College for Girls - with a front block dated in 1743, with 15th and 16th century rear wings, according to Historic England.

Sora Workshop Limited is listed by Companies House as involved in the “retail sale of watches and jewellery in specialised stores” and was incorporated at the end of May this year.

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