A Whitby shop’s plan to expand its premises and create eight residential apartments has met with objections.
Concerns have been raised about “unlawful activity” and negative impacts on the conservation area if the Yorkshire Trading Company Ltd’s proposal to extend its town centre shop in Whitby gets the go-ahead.
If approved, the works would include extending the retail space into a vacant neighbouring building while also adding residential flats and creating dozens of jobs.
Whitby Civic Society said it welcomed the proposed creation of flats and the use of the former bank as retail space, but added that the “plans as submitted would cause significant harm to the character and appearance of this part of the conservation area as viewed from New Quay Road”.
“Of great concern to the society is the design proposals for the new three-storey building fronting New Quay Road. No attempt has been made to provide a shop front with any character or quality.”
“Whilst the society supports the proposed uses, we object to the application on design grounds and the likely negative impact upon the conservation area.”
The business occupies an existing shop in the old Post Office at 22, Baxtergate and could extend its ground-floor retail operation into 21, Baxtergate, which was previously occupied by Barclays Bank.
Yorkshire Trading Company (YTC) has traded in Whitby “for some 30 years”, the business said, and throughout that time it has “sought to secure an opportunity to improve the size and nature of its operation in order to provide a better offering to the residents and visitors”.
The Highway Authority has said it is concerned about “ongoing issues of YTC placing goods on the public highway at both ends of the property”.
“The local area highways office has written to the company previously outlining that they do not have permission to place these goods and cause obstructions for highway users, and we are concerned that the proposal to almost double the frontage of the business will extend this unlawful practice.”
According to the applicant, the physical dimensions and structure of the current store present many operational difficulties, and the proposed scheme is a “once in a generation opportunity”.
Whitby Town Council has also objected to the application and has requested that it be decided by councillors on the Scarborough and Whitby Area Planning Committee. The town council said:
“The objection is based on concerns relating to the provision of fire doors within the kitchen, highways implications, bin storage arrangements, and the issues identified within the Designing Out Crime report,”
North Yorkshire Council’s conservation officer has also objected to the plans because while the Baxtergate elevations would remain unchanged, the proposals involve “significant changes to the rear of both buildings”.
The officer said that modern, and generic window openings proposed at the rear, which reinforce the modern “marina-style” design approach, would
“erode the historic character and architectural integrity of the rear elevations and would have a significant negative impact on the conservation area”.
She said:
“They introduce a modern mass market residential feel, are of limited usability and lack the craftsmanship and local distinctiveness of the area.”
Concerns have also been raised by North Yorkshire Police’s designing out crime officer over a lack of details on what crime prevention measures are to be incorporated into the development.
North Yorkshire Council has not set a date for deciding on the application which is currently open to representations by members of the public.
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