Councillors approve demolition of ‘historic’ stone wall near Filey despite call for rejection

Councillors on the Scarborough and Whitby area planning committee voted to approve the demolition of a “dangerous” historic stone wall in Gristhorpe despite a recommendation from planning officers that the plan be rejected.

Applicant Shaun Wood will now be allowed to move the wall and install four electric vehicle charging points at the front of the residential development.

At the meeting on August 10, members debated whether demolition of the wall on Farm Close, would amount to the neglect of the committee’s “legal duty to protect the conservation area”.

Speaking at the meeting, a representative of the applicant said: “If you let Mr Wood finish it off, he can find whatever matching stone so it works with the whole of the development – he can do that and he wants to do that.”

The planning authority had recommended refusal of the wall’s demolition and replacement in a new position despite a heritage statement commissioned by the applicant stating that “the partially collapsed stone wall is a dangerous structure and cannot be retained or repaired”.

However, councillors who had conducted a site visit raised concerns regarding the speed of the stone structure’s deterioration.

Cllr Subash Sharma said: “The deterioration has been extensive, given that the original planning application stated that the wall had to be rebuilt.

“Better care should have been taken of it and obviously that has not been done.”

However, in permitting the wall’s demolition, councillors added an amendment to the plan requiring a marker on the ground denoting the wall’s original location which was supported by Cllr Heather Phillip and other committee members.

Councillors rejected another application from the same applicant which proposed adding dormer windows to each of the four houses on the property.

Councillors and planning officers said they were concerned about the style and size of the proposed dormer windows and their impact on the conservation area.

However, Cllr Neil Swannick said: “Refusal is intended to preserve the conservation area but I actually don’t think these dormers are that different from others in Gristhorpe.”

There was a tie-break situation when councillors voted on the second application, but the planning committee chair’s casting vote was in favour of rejecting the plan.