Council blocks subdivision of flats in Scarborough

​Mr Shepherd’s proposal sought the sub-division of the ground and basement levels of 5 – 6 Westwood, Scarborough, to turn four flats into eight one-bed flats.

​However, planners said that the “unacceptable” proposal would have resulted in harm to the amenity of future residents and to highway safety.

​Each flat would have consisted of one bedroom with “some form of different living arrangement in each flat”, according to a planning report.

​Scarborough Town Council objected to the proposal after raising concerns about “the lack of family housing provision in the area and the ability for the proposed units to be used as holiday lets, thereby reducing permanent housing availability, as well as insufficient local infrastructure, including parking provision”.

​STC also said that the proposed room sizes did “not meet the minimum national internal floor standards”.

​The Highway Authority also recommended refusal of the planning application due to a lack of parking provision on the site.

​The authority said: “There is an absence of adequate information with regard to on-site parking provision, including parking spaces and turning facilities, and the proposed development would likely result in vehicles being parked on the highway.”

​Council planners stated that the development was considered “acceptable in principle” and did not raise any specific concerns regarding design or impact on visual amenity.

​However, officers highlighted that the parking plan presented “significant concerns in terms of the layout of spaces, their usability, and the lack of on-site turning facilities,” concluding that “the proposed development is considered to be unacceptable in terms of highway safety”.

​They added: “The development would not provide adequate internal living space for the future residents, or a good standard of amenity”.

​North Yorkshire Council concluded that the scheme would be “unacceptable in terms of residential amenity” and refused the application.

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