Four new holidays homes approved for Whitby, just a week after 93% vote in favour of ban

The application for the conversion of the property on Wellington Terrace was approved on Tuesday June 21.

The proposal, submitted by Mr and Mrs WIlson, was to convert a six-bedroom dwelling into four holiday apartments in a Georgian three-storey terraced house, with the apartments located over basement, ground, first, and second-floor levels.

The council’s decision to approve the conversion comes a week after Whitby residents voted overwhelmingly in favour of restricting new home ownership to local residents.

Though not legally binding, 2,111 people voted in favour of restricting second home ownership while only 157 people voted against it.

The application received four public objections, with comments concerning “loss of dwelling” and “over predominance” of holiday homes in the area, as well as concerns regarding insufficient bin storage arrangements.

But a report by the council states that the concerns raised relating to the loss of a dwelling is "acknowledged”, however, “there is no policy reason preventing a dwelling becoming holiday accommodation.”

Other objections also addressed the likelihood of increased parking and an “inappropriate style of railings”.

The council’s environmental services also had concerns regarding natural light and ventilation in the basement flat, stating: “The minimum standard for natural light and ventilation in habitable rooms is that the window area should be at least 10 per cent of the floor area of the room and 50 per cent of that should be openable for ventilation.”

The environmental services also addressed concerns regarding the size of another bedroom, with the council stating that owing to its limited size “a condition is proposed restricting the use of the self-contained units by occupant/s to a maximum of 28 days annually so as to prevent permanent occupancy and for the premises not to be sold/let separately other than for holiday rental purposes.”

North Yorkshire’s Highway Authority also raised concerns regarding a possible highway obstruction owing to “excavation at the front of the property, immediately adjacent to the highway boundary”.

However, a revised plan was submitted “so as to not obstruct the highway”.

A council report into the proposed changes states that “the main consideration concerning this application… is the impact upon residential amenity and whether the proposed alterations harm the appearance and character of the property.”

But the report adds that “holiday homes and apartments are very much a fitting characteristic of this area and noted as already established within Wellington Terrace itself.

"Therefore, it is considered that the proposed visitor accommodation is acceptable.”

Permission was granted subject to various conditions including revised plans and a clause limiting the length of time it can be let at a time owing to “limited amenity provisions”.