A controversial 24-hour adult gaming centre in Whitby has been granted permission to install illuminated signage despite concerns over light pollution and the town's dark skies.
Illuminated signs will light up a controversial 24-hour adult gaming centre in Whitby town centre following a fresh planning victory.
Luxury Leisure, which trades as Admiral, will install a halo-illuminated fascia sign and an externally illuminated hanging sign at the former Halifax branch on Baxtergate. North Yorkshire Council approved the revised plans, which follow an earlier rejection of similar signage by the local authority.
The wider conversion of the site into an adult gaming centre was previously given the go-ahead after a Government planning inspector overturned a council refusal for the initial change-of-use application.
Whitby Civic Society objected to the latest signage application, arguing that running illuminated signs on a 24-hour basis would harm residents and impact the town's dark skies.
In its official objection, the society said:
"The lighting would constitute a disamenity for residents and would negatively affect the dark skies opportunities for planetary observation currently found in Whitby."
The group suggested that the lighting should be switched off at midnight if the plans were approved. However, planning officers concluded that such a restriction was unnecessary.
Planners found that changes made by the applicant since the previous refusal successfully addressed earlier concerns about the impact on the character of the area and neighbouring residents. The adjustments included reducing the overall amount of illuminated signage and switching to warm white LED halo lighting.
The council's planning report stated:
"The revised design is much more subtle than the previously refused scheme and is in keeping with the other late-night uses on Baxtergate."
During the consultation process, the council’s environmental protection manager noted that a document submitted as a lighting assessment was not a true evaluation, as a formal assessment of light spill and illumination levels did not appear to have been carried out.
However, the environmental protection manager added:
"Despite the lack of such an assessment, I do not intend to object based on the information (including lighting design) submitted by the applicant."
Planning officers ultimately concluded that the revised scheme would not cause unacceptable harm to residential amenity or to the character and appearance of Whitby’s conservation area.
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