Council rejects plan for four new houses outside Whitby over 'unacceptable' design and impact

North Yorkshire Council has rejected BHD Design Ltd’s plan to build four two-storey dwellings off Stainscare Lane, around 1.5km from Whitby.

The detached dwellings would have been built at Homestead, Stainsacre Lane, on a rectangular piece of land.

The site previously had a detached residential bungalow which had been demolished before the application was submitted.

Planning officers said their main concern was that the properties to the east would be located, at their closest point, only 5m away from the proposed development.

Whitby Town Council supported the plan and it received a mixed response from residents with one objection and one ‘neutral’ comment.

The residents raised concerns about the scheme’s impact on the amenity of neighbouring residential properties because of concerns about overlooking.

They also said they were “concerned that the development may detrimentally impact the trees on site which are also regular nesting sites for a variety of birds”.

The proposed plans had been amended to rectify “several design concerns which were present in the original plans,” according to a council report.

However, it added: “Despite this, the Local Planning Authority considers that numerous significant design issues persist.”

Officers highlighted the “detrimental impact” of the properties being so close together and said it would have led to an “overbearing impact, overlooking and loss of privacy – amongst other things”.

The council concluded that while new housing in the development limits was supported through local plan policies, there were “significant concerns” about the scheme’s impact on amenity for neighbouring residents.

North Yorkshire Council rejected the application on Wednesday, July 17.