Plans to transform former Scarborough care home into flats set to be discussed again

Following its meeting on July 7, the council’s planning and development committee voted in favour of deferring a decision regarding the conversion of the currently vacant Elsinor Nursing Home at 5-6 Esplanade Gardens, Scarborough, into flats.

The deferral of the decision by the authority’s planning and development committee arose from several concerns and questions raised by councillors concerning rubbish disposal and collection, as well as the size and standards of the proposed accommodation.

The application proposes the conversion of the five-storey former care home into 10 flats, of which eight would be two-bed units and the remaining two would be studios.

Speaking at the committee’s meeting in July, Cllr Roberta Swiers, who supported deferral of the decision to allow councillors to visit the site, said: “We can’t promote these flats that are shocking, really.

“I certainly would not want to be in a flat that is well below standard and has very little sunlight.

"We shouldn’t be progressing with these things.”

Concerns were also raised about rubbish collection and bin arrangements at the rear of the building.

A report prepared for the upcoming meeting on Thursday August 4 says: “Since the last committee, at members’ request your officers have sought further clarification from the council’s environmental health service regarding the requirements for bin storage for buildings which cater to multiple flats.”

The environmental health team recommended that two 1,100 litre general waste bins and two 1,100 litre recycling bins should be provided for the development’s waste disposal needs, instead of separate bins for each flat.

The report adds: “The applicant has submitted amended plans demonstrating that bins of this specification can be appropriately stored within the curtilage of the site, and these are available to view on the council’s website.”

The report also addresses considerations concerning the lack of windows in parts of the accommodation, as one of the bedrooms in the original proposal had no windows.

Councillors are told in the report that the environmental health team responded to the initial plans with no objection, however, it “queried the amount of natural light and number of windows” in the a bedroom on the lower ground-floor flat.

“Amended plans have consequently been submitted to rearrange the layout of the unit to ensure a great amount of light can reach habitable rooms, and enlarge the proposed windows to an acceptable specification.”

Councillors are once again recommended to approve the plans, subject to conditions on updated floor plans and elevations.