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New Surf School And Café Approved For Popular Yorkshire Coast Tourist Spot

Thursday, 11 June 2026 19:28

By Anttoni James Numminen, Local Democracy Reporter

A well-established surf school in Cayton Bay will be replaced by a modernized 21-metre-long facility featuring a new first-floor café, equipment hire, and storage space, following approval from North Yorkshire Council.

A New surf school and café is set to be built at a popular tourist spot in North Yorkshire.

An existing surf school in Cayton Bay, Filey, will be demolished and replaced by a new 21-metre-long facility run by Secret Spot.

Set in a sensitive coastal location with open views toward the sea and surrounded by farmland, the site is a well-established surfing and tourism destination.

The new facilities, north of Filey Road, will include a café and kitchen on the first floor, while the ground floor will accommodate a wetsuit and board storage area, equipment hire, W.C. facilities, an office, utility space and a cash desk.

Plans were originally submitted three years ago, and the applicant clarified the internal layout of the first floor café and kitchen areas this spring.

The new building, with a dual-pitched roof, will be 5.5m high to the ridge, 10.5 metres wide, and 21.2 metres long.

An earth sheltering will be created from the soil and material on site to create a level build area which does not require additional topsoil.

Planning officers said:

“Overall, the proposals represent a sustainable, well-designed and environmentally responsible development.”

The authority’s tourism service said it was “very supportive” of the proposal while Cayton Parish Council said it fully supported “the modernisation of this property which has been an existing business for several years”.

The parish council added that the surf school promoted local tourism and that the expansion would support economic growth.

More than three dozen members of the public wrote letters in support of the application while one neutral comment was submitted. No objections were made by residents.

The new building is set to incorporate a mix of external materials, including steel profile roof and wall panels, and dark grey render and areas of timber cladding.

The elevations would be punctuated by aluminium-framed double-glazed openings, concentrated primarily on the north-facing, seaward elevation.

The scheme also involves the replacement of “utilitarian structures that offer little in terms of design quality or contribution to local character”.

Council planners said that vehicle traffic to and from the well-established surfing and tourism destination is expected to remain relatively low in volume and “consistent with the long-established use of the land”.

Planners added:

“The replacement facility is of comparable scale and there is no evidence to indicate that the development would give rise to an unacceptable impact on highway safety.”

A council report concluded:

“From a design and landscape perspective, the scheme delivers a substantial uplift in architectural quality, replacing informal and visually poor structures with a purpose-built, modest and contextually responsive building.”

Secret Spot’s application was approved by North Yorkshire Council, subject to conditions, on Friday, June 5.

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