Talks Over Former Scarborough Care Home Conversion

Saturday, 3 September 2022 10:11

For the third time in just over two months, councillors will discuss whether to approve the proposed conversion of a former Scarborough care home into residential accommodation.

Approval of the property’s conversion has been deferred twice by members of Scarborough Council’s Planning Committee due to what councillors said was a lack of clarity from the applicant regarding rubbish collection and the number of rooms in the property.

Formerly Elsinor Residential Care Home, the five-storey mid-terrace property at 5 -6 Esplanade Gardens, Scarborough, could be converted into 10 flats if approval is given at the meeting on September 8.

The applicant, Sure Start Property Solutions Ltd, is proposing to use the two of the studios for holiday letting purposes.

The application was initially deferred in July so that members of the committee could visit the site and establish the “suitability” of external rubbish disposal at the site.

It was then deferred for a second time in August to establish “whether the applicant would consider creating an internal access at ground-floor level” at the rear of the building where the rubbish disposal was proposed.

This was a major concern for councillors because without the rear access many residents would have had to walk around the block to dispose of rubbish.

However, according to an updated report, “the applicant has amended the proposal to provide an internal corridor providing access to the external bin store from all flats” which also “dispenses with the need for new residents to walk around the block to access the store or for collection of waste from within the building by a contractor”.

Councillors also deferred for a second time when they noticed at the committee meeting that the number of bedrooms in some of the proposed flats had been “misnumbered” on the application, with some one-bedroom properties labelled as having two bedrooms.

They also sought clarification on whether the proposed rooms complied with national minimum space standards.

According to the new report presented to members for the upcoming meeting, each of the units “exceeds the Government’s guideline” for minimum space standards nationally and “by a considerable margin” in most cases.

The amended plans now also label the flats correctly in terms of the number of bedrooms in each unit, according to the report.

The applicant is also being advised to consult further with North Yorkshire Police about “matters concerning the security and safety of the development”.

Councillors are once again recommended to approve the plans subject to conditions.