Work to convert a regional daily’s offices into student accommodation for nearly 650 students is expected to start next month.

The Press in York is moving to smaller offices on the same site on Walmgate, in York city centre, to allow more than 350 flats and apartments to be built after planners gave the £35m development the go-ahead in August.

As previously reported on HTFP, the Newsquest title is due to move into the Poads building which forms part of the site, which will be refurbished and extended to create 630 sq m of offices.

Some of The Press’s current buildings will be bulldozed as part of the project which is due to be completed by September 2015.

An artist’s impression of how Walmgate in York would look after the redevelopment of The Press’s site

Steve Hughes, editor of The Press, said that most of the site, including the car park and the Old Press hall building will be used for student flats.

“We are simply moving into smaller, purpose built offices in the same building which has become far too big for our needs,” he said.