Plans for a new alleyway and public area along York’s riverside have been shelved.
But the change means the city will soon be getting an Australia and New Zealand-inspired café.
Under the major Coney Street Riverside project, the building that used to house Lush on the street was due to be demolished to create a new snickleway leading to the Ouse.
This would have opened out onto an area to be called St Martin’s Yard, created where the beer garden for the Revolution York bar is now.
The alleyway was due to be part of the first phase of the works, beginning this autumn.
But now Max Reeves of the Helmsley Group, which is behind the Coney Street Riverside project, said this part of the plan had become a long-term ambition.
Deferring the scheme means that the building that was Lush at 5 Coney Street can be taken over by a Federal Café branch.
City of York Council has approved its application paint the front black and add a hanging sign bearing its branding.
The business stated they were very keen to expand to York after starting life as a small neighbourhood café in Manchester in 2014.
Council planning officers stated the signs were acceptable and would not have a negative impact on neighbouring historic buildings.
Federal has also applied to licence 5, Coney Street for alcohol sales. A separate but related planning application to convert the inside of the unit to house a café is awaiting a council ruling.
Planning documents said Federal would bring the Grade II-listed building back into use so it could contribute to the vitality of the city centre.
“Founded in Manchester in 2014 as a small neighbourhood café, Federal Café has expanded and now has three cafés in Manchester and one in Leeds,” the application stated.
“The business is renowned for its coffee and customer service and is very keen to bring its Antipodean-inspired offer to York city centre.”
Federal Café’s website stated its founder Claudio Alves Ribeiro was inspired to open the first Manchester site after a trip to Melbourne, Australia.
Council planning officers stated the design of the signs responded well to the character of the building and were proportionate to it.
Work on the Coney Street scheme, which includes a new public space overlooking the River Ouse, began in June with scaffolding going up in the street.
The redevelopment is set to include retail and leisure spaces along the new Waterloo Place waterfront area and the upper floors of buildings converted to house 358 student bedrooms.