Plan to open UK's first energy efficient hotel in Yorkshire village

The hotel would be built overlooking the sea at Runswick Bay in North Yorkshire

A North Yorkshire village could get the UK's first energy efficient hotel.

Planning permission for the Passivhaus building in Runswick Bay has been lodged with the North York Moors National Park Authority.

If approved, the Cliffemount Hotel overlooking the sea would be demolished and replaced by a property which would require little heating or cooling.

A report to the authority's planning committee said the building would use around 75% less energy than usual.

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS), planning documents state the proposed three-storey 20-bedroom hotel beside the Cleveland Way trail would be about 20 times as airtight as a standard building and feature mechanical ventilation and a heat recovery system.

The development would also include a community pub and restaurant and sunken patios to serve the dining and bar areas overlooking the sea.

The Passivhaus standard uses energy from the sun and heat from people in the building to warm the interior.

If approved, the existing Cliffemount Hotel would be demolished and replaced by the Passivhaus building

An agent for the developer Octopi Property said the hotel would employ 15 full-time and 15 part-time staff.

"The intention is to deliver a new building that will contribute to the character of Runswick Bay whilst also supporting the local community, economically in terms of jobs and investment, as well as socially as a place to visit and meet,"the agent said.

"The current hotel does not present an efficient or viable layout."

A spokeswoman for the Passivhaus Trust told the LDRS that while the internationally recognised standard has been established for decades Octopi Property's proposal would be the country's first such hotel.

The meeting to discuss the planning application will be held next week.

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