Plans are in to expand a York city centre pub from inside to outside.
The Burns Hotel on Market Street has applied for a pavement licence.
The historic Sam Smith’s Brewery pub is asking City of York Council for permission to serve food and drink to outdoor seating to the front of the premises.
Market Street should be wide enough to allow at least 1.5 metres available for pedestrians to get past, as required under the rules.
The application was submitted in June, but there’s no sign of the seating yet.
It is the first development at the Burns Hotel for a number of years.
The traditional pub, found in a Grade II listed building, was remodelled in the 1960s in the style of the horse-drawn cabs invented by York’s own Joseph Hansom.
It was then renamed the Hansom Cab, before returning to its original name after another refurbishment.
The Sam Smith’s Brewery rule of “no gadgets” is applied here, to typically mixed responses.
A solo traveller who “just wanted to chill with a pint” and “got my iPad out to read my book” was told to put it away after customers complained.
He left the pub and a 1/5 review on TripAdvisor.
But an earlier 5/5 reviewer said having no phones “was part of the magic”, adding “it was a dark-panelled haven that felt like stepping back in time”.