Holiday let plans approved for Whitby former toilet block

Opponents raised concerns about rubbish being dumped outside

Plans to convert a former seaside toilet block in North Yorkshire into a holiday let have been approved.

A planning committee heard the property on Clarence Place in Whitby, which was also previously used as an office, was unsuitable for residential use.

Opponents raised concerns about rubbish being dumped and a loss of workspace.

North Yorkshire Council's planning authority approved the conversion but would not allow it to be occupied until a waste management plan was in place.

A planning committee meeting on Thursday was told that the building "appears to have minimal facilities", and no way of effectively disposing of waste.

The applicant had suggested that rubbish would be removed between lettings, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

However, questions arose on whether the plan would be effective in the case of longer stays, with guests "generating a significant level of refuse".

"It is not compelling that the suggested method for disposal of refuse would be successful", an officer told the meeting.

Whitby Civic Society said the conversion would lead to a loss of workspace "in the core of the town" and that "rubbish generated will inevitably be placed outside".

The planning authority concluded that it would approve the conversion, but would not allow the property to be occupied until the applicant had devised an appropriate scheme for rubbish disposal and collection.