Councillors have been recommended to approve plans to convert Whitby’s last high street bank into a 24-hour adult gaming centre, despite the local MP's objections.
Plans to create a 24-hour adult gaming centre on the site of Whitby’s last high street bank on Baxtergate have been proposed for approval despite receiving more than 500 objections.
Councillors on the Scarborough and Whitby area planning committee will discuss the plans submitted by Luxury Leisure, trading as Admiral, on Thursday, March 13.
This week, the MP for Scarborough and Whitby, Alison Hume, launched a public petition against the plans which she said would be presented to the House of Commons:
A report prepared ahead of the meeting recommends approval of the plan, stating that it would “not result in harm to the character of the area” and would benefit the local economy.
Many objections cited concerns about the loss of the Halifax branch which is due to close in May, but council planners said that “whilst the loss of a bank branch in a town centre may be regrettable” it was “not relevant to the consideration of this application”.
According to submitted plans, the ground floor would be converted for use by patrons, including toilets, and the upstairs would be for staff use.
Whitby Town Council objected to the proposal “on the grounds that the site is an inappropriate location”.
However, no objections were lodged by the Highway Authority or the environmental health team.
Overall, 528 local representations were submitted of which six were in support of the proposal.
The planning authority noted that a considerable number of objections raised concerns about antisocial behaviour, crime, and noise disturbance that could follow from “late-evening patrons given the 24-hour operating hours”.
However, officers said that “the type of use proposed tends to be subdued in terms of volume from the building, insofar as the noise produced from the use would be confined to being indoors”.
A report prepared for councillors adds:
“The proposal would ensure that a commercial unit soon-to-be-vacant would remain in use in a prominent location within the town centre, adding to the tourism and leisure offering within the town centre, promoting footfall and would benefit the local economy.”
Proposer Luxury Leisure, trading as Admiral, has said the conversion of the Halifax bank – due to close later this year – would “ensure footfall to the town centre”.
In plans submitted to North Yorkshire Council, they added that proposed premises were “bona fide town centre uses” that add to diversity and choice with no harmful impact on retailing activity.
The applicant also stated there would be “no noisy amusement arcade equipment which attracts under-18s and has an impact on amenity”.
However, Ms Hume said that the proposed development on the site of the Halifax branch – which will close on May 14 and leave the town without a high street bank – was emblematic of a wider banking crisis:
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