Scarborough taxi office flat conversion approved by council after ‘improvements to plan’

Amy Tamblin’s plan to convert the former Ace Cars office, at Durham Place into a two-bed apartment has been approved by North Yorkshire Council.

The building has not been used since the office closed in 2019.

Turning the application down in February, planners said it would lead to “significant harm and detriment to the enjoyment of future users”.

But planning officers said that following changes to the plan, including the addition of outdoor amenity space, the development was considered acceptable.

The additional outdoor space will be created by demolishing an adjoining garage at the rear of the building.

A planning report states: “The previous submission at this site was refused because of its sub-standard provision of amenity space for future occupants of the dwelling.

“It is considered that the creation of a new amenity space to the rear of the building would address this by providing a spacious area for the storage of waste and the enjoyment of its occupants.”

The site sits within a mostly residential area of Scarborough near The Albert pub and forms the end of a row of terraced buildings on Durham Place.

The front of the building will be “domesticated” for residential use with the removal of the ground-floor frontage and its replacement with a conventional doorway.

Officers said that “overall, the proposed external works would be minor in scale, and would be positive in terms of adapting the appearance of the building for residential purposes”.

There were no public objections and the council’s environmental health team did not raise any reasons for refusal.

The council concluded that the development would “provide a good standard of amenity for the enjoyment of future occupants”.

The application was approved subject to conditions on Monday, April 29.