The building itself lies within the Medieval Streets Conservation Area, so the retention of both the building's character and its appearance in congruence with the character of the street is vital for this application. 

This application will be a natural evolution of a building that has seen different uses in its lifetime with a long history of commercial use. Google maps photography and the photography provided by the Heritage statement shows that the shop front has been painted in both black and white; which suggests that this should lead to no objection. 

The Heritage statement leaves a little bit of the history of the building to be desired, instead focusing on the material history, they reference the timber construction and a history of alteration. The internal alterations proposed are being made in addition to recent renovations made by the prior occupant.

The building is described in the RCHME as a building of three storeys and attic, is wholly of Victorian appearance but may contain an earlier timber-framed structure; the front elevation has two jetties and is notable for the facing of coloured tiles. Furthermore the building is situated on a street with its roots in the roman fort of Eboracum. The heritage of this building then is vitally important to the cities history and the presentation of Stonegate. The Victorian frontage of the building is safe from alterations in this planning application and the timber frame is also not being impacted by the alterations. 

The alterations described will both maintain the Victorian character and add a modern flair to a busy tourist street within the city. Adding new glazing to the front window is an addition in line with Paragraph 158 of the NPPF. 

To summarise, the application is fine, however greater detail in both the design and access statement and the heritage statement would be welcome. 

The street appears to have lost importance in the Anglian and Jorvik period. York Minster was rebuilt in the 11th century, and stone for it was brought up the road, from a quay behind what is now York Guildhall. This appears to have brought the street back to prominence, and new building plots were laid adjoining the north-eastern part of the street. This part of the street lay in the Liberty of St Peter's, associated with the Minster, and many of its buildings belonged to the church, the whole area soon becoming built up, mostly with tenements. By 1215, there were houses for the prebends of Ampleforth, Barnby, Bramham and North Newbald.[2][3]

The street was known as "Stonegate" by 1119, probably named for stone paving, which would have been unique in the city at the time, although an alternative theory links the name to the stone hauled up to the Minster. Glass painters and goldsmiths became prominent along the road, while from the 1500s, it became known for printers and bookshops. In 1762, John Todd set up a well-known library and bookshop on the street.[2]

Because of the location of the street, it has historically been used for civic processions, from the York Guildhall to the Minster. It was also the site where three of the historic York Mystery Plays were performed.[2] In 1570, Guy Fawkes was born at a house on the street.[4]

Nikolaus Pevsner described the street as "perhaps the most attractive [street in the city], and one of the busiest. Narrow, quite long, and with a variety of good things".[5] Due to its popularity with tourists, the street was pedestrianised in 1974.[2] It was repaved in York stone in 2020.[6]

RCHME 

(455) House, No. 10, of three storeys and attic, is wholly of Victorian appearance but may contain an earlier timber-framed structure; the front elevation has two jetties and is notable for the facing of coloured tiles.