The council has approved the conversion of a three-storey Whitby residential building into holiday accommodation despite local objections.

The property at 7 Broomfield Terrace in Whitby, near Pannett Park and Whitby Museum, can be converted into holiday apartments, the council has ruled.

It is located in a historic part of Whitby in the town’s conservation area and near several listed sites including Spa Well.

Concerns had been raised by local groups including the Whitby Civic Society which objected to the plan “due to its adverse impact on the appearance” of the area.

The Northern Echo: Proposed elevations Credit: LDR

The town council also opposed the conversion “on the basis of its impact on the setting of nearby listed buildings”.

Whitby Town Council noted concerns raised by the Highway Authority which had originally recommended that the plans be refused due to an “absence of adequate on-site parking”.

However, the highway authority withdrew the objection after the plans were changed.

The number of parking spaces was reduced from three to one space and a council report notes that “there are also a number of public car parks in the nearby area to facilitate off-site vehicular parking”.

Planning officers did not agree that the development would harm the area and said that the works were “of an appropriate scale, with sympathetic materials that would complement the host building, and would preserve the character of the conservation area and setting of nearby listed buildings”.

The Northern Echo: Broomfield Terrace leading up to the property Credit: GOOGLE

It was also noted that as the holiday accommodation will be made up of “essentially five residential flats” they can be utilised year-round and could “mitigate against the seasonal nature of attraction to the town”.

The applicant, Mr M Estill, said he will also convert the basement into a holiday flat and will carry out excavation works to create an access.

However, the proposed works are not set to result in an expansion of the footprint of the building.

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Despite a recommendation from the council’s environmental health department suggesting that a noise management plan should be submitted, officers said “the scale of the proposal does not warrant such a condition”.

They added: “The level of disturbance would not exceed an unreasonable level commonly expected from five typical residential flats.”

The conversion was approved by North Yorkshire Council on Thursday, April 18.