Former Filey amusement arcade to become banking hub as council approves plan

The former Holdsworth Amusement Centre at Belle Vue Street will be converted into a banking hub following a number of bank branch closures on the Yorkshire coast.

The hub is designed to enable consumers and small businesses to access cash, deposit and basic banking services, with hundreds proposed across the UK.

Support for the scheme came from Filey Town Council as well as several residents who wrote to the council in favour of the plan.

One local said that access to banking is “severely lacking in the town” and that the hub would be “a vital lifeline to the large number of older residents in the town as well as being a boon during the summer tourist season”.

The resident also commended the plans for being “sensitive to the area of the town” and noted that it would be “a great improvement for the whole town’s benefit”

Another resident said: “I believe this will be a huge asset to the town of Filey, especially for the elderly who cannot make the journey to Scarborough for their needs.”

The first, second, and third floors of the early 19th Century mid-terraced building are used for accommodation as residential flats.

Cash Access UK, which submitted the plans, is a not-for-profit company set up by a number of UK banks and building societies to facilitate the provision of a range of services including shared banking spaces on local high streets.

Planning officers said that the design of the scheme was “considered to be of a good standard, utilising high-quality materials”.

They noted that as the plan would “reinstate a business within a vacant unit” it was “viewed positively and will improve the sense of activity in the area and will enhance its overall character”.

North Yorkshire Council approved the application subject to conditions on Monday, November 11.